penalty_20
07-08-2005, 01:38 PM
Heinze Breaks Mould With Player Of The Year Vote
Heinze Clinches Sir Matt Busby Award
Gabriel Heinze beat Wayne Rooney by 1000 votes to the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.
Sir Matt Busby 2004/05 Player Of The Year
1. Gabriel Heinze - 6511 votes
2. Wayne Rooney - 5646 votes
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 2310 votes
Gabriel Heinze is the first defender and non-European player to be voted Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.
Almost 17,000 One United Members and E-Members voted - that's a quarter of Old Trafford at its capacity - with Heinze claiming a third of those votes.
The Argentine left-back, 6511 fans having nominated him, beat Wayne Rooney to the award by almost a thousand votes. Cristiano Ronaldo was acknowledged for an impressive second season with 2310 votes in third place.
A revelation since his £6.9million move from Paris Saint Germain last summer, Heinze fast became a fans' favourite in his debut season at Old Trafford.
His committed style and ceaseless work rate complement the quality of his tackling and passing, and was widely considered one of the shrewdest purchases of the season.
So impressive was Heinze last term that supporters rank his first season with the Reds more highly than Wayne Rooney's.
The pair were rare shafts of light in a gloomy season for Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who finished the campaign empty-handed.
That a defender topped the voting ahead of Rooney, who treated fans to a debut hat-trick and breathtaking goals against Middlesbrough and Newcastle, speaks volumes for Heinze's quality.
The 27-year-old signed for United in June last year, but didn't make his debut for three months until September due to his involvement in the Copa America and Olympic Games with Argentina.
With an Olympic Gold medal secured, Heinze set about a charm offensive with his new club. He produced a goal on his debut, a 2-2 draw with Bolton, whilst his first outing at Old Trafford, against Liverpool on Monday 20 September, gave an early indication of what fans could expect week in, week out.
Buoyed by a capacity crowd on Rio Ferdinand's return from suspension and playing against fierce local rivals Liverpool, Heinze revelled in the atmosphere. He produced three sliding tackles one after the other - each with a louder roar than the last.
In the return fixture, in January, his sliding challenge on Fernando Morientes was nothing short of world class.
He missed the FA Cup final due to an ankle injury, but another season like his first would surely deserve, and hopefully produce, a winners' medal.
Heinze Clinches Sir Matt Busby Award
Gabriel Heinze beat Wayne Rooney by 1000 votes to the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.
Sir Matt Busby 2004/05 Player Of The Year
1. Gabriel Heinze - 6511 votes
2. Wayne Rooney - 5646 votes
3. Cristiano Ronaldo - 2310 votes
Gabriel Heinze is the first defender and non-European player to be voted Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.
Almost 17,000 One United Members and E-Members voted - that's a quarter of Old Trafford at its capacity - with Heinze claiming a third of those votes.
The Argentine left-back, 6511 fans having nominated him, beat Wayne Rooney to the award by almost a thousand votes. Cristiano Ronaldo was acknowledged for an impressive second season with 2310 votes in third place.
A revelation since his £6.9million move from Paris Saint Germain last summer, Heinze fast became a fans' favourite in his debut season at Old Trafford.
His committed style and ceaseless work rate complement the quality of his tackling and passing, and was widely considered one of the shrewdest purchases of the season.
So impressive was Heinze last term that supporters rank his first season with the Reds more highly than Wayne Rooney's.
The pair were rare shafts of light in a gloomy season for Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who finished the campaign empty-handed.
That a defender topped the voting ahead of Rooney, who treated fans to a debut hat-trick and breathtaking goals against Middlesbrough and Newcastle, speaks volumes for Heinze's quality.
The 27-year-old signed for United in June last year, but didn't make his debut for three months until September due to his involvement in the Copa America and Olympic Games with Argentina.
With an Olympic Gold medal secured, Heinze set about a charm offensive with his new club. He produced a goal on his debut, a 2-2 draw with Bolton, whilst his first outing at Old Trafford, against Liverpool on Monday 20 September, gave an early indication of what fans could expect week in, week out.
Buoyed by a capacity crowd on Rio Ferdinand's return from suspension and playing against fierce local rivals Liverpool, Heinze revelled in the atmosphere. He produced three sliding tackles one after the other - each with a louder roar than the last.
In the return fixture, in January, his sliding challenge on Fernando Morientes was nothing short of world class.
He missed the FA Cup final due to an ankle injury, but another season like his first would surely deserve, and hopefully produce, a winners' medal.