The failed £28million gamble and a lesson to Erik ten Hag from Manchester United vs Wrexham's last meeting

Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy had arrived with Champions League glory in mind.

The pair had cost a shade under a combined £50million as Sir Alex Ferguson sought to reinvent his Manchester United side to conquer Europe. The 2001 transfer window saw United set about trying to build from a position of strength. They had been crowned champions of England for the third straight season but had fallen to eventual winners Bayern Munich in Europe.

As was often the case under Ferguson, he sought to solve problems before they existed. He felt United needed a creative force in midfield, particularly on the continent, and pounced for Veron in a then club-record £28million move. The Argentina international's arrival followed that of Van Nistelrooy as the curtain fell on the treble-winning strike pair of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke.

One of the first glimpses of the new arrivals in action came at a packed-out Racecourse Ground in Wrexham as the duo formed part of a strong Reds lineup taking on the Welsh side, which included Ferguson's son Darren in their midfield, in a fixture to commemorate the home side's long-serving manager Brian Flynn.

Want to join our MUFC Pro club for a totally ad-free version of the MEN’s Man United app packed with premium features? Click here

ALSO READ: Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have exactly what they wanted as Wrexham face Manchester United

Nearly 8,000 were in attendance to see Veron curl home a stunning free-kick, demonstrating his ability firsthand. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had earlier put the Reds in front but two goals in the closing stages from Wrexham ensured it ended honours even.

For Veron, it was a promising start with the midfielder having also netted in the previous