How Vidic Gave Up His First Manchester United Medal But Won Over the Fans

Serbian legend Nemanja Vidic lifted 15 trophies during his illustrious career with Manchester United. Among his most cherished is the very first – the League Cup triumph on February 26, 2006. In that final, Sir Alex Ferguson's side defeated Wigan 4-0. Vidic made a brief appearance as a late substitute, but after the trophy presentation, he famously handed his winner's medal to teammate Giuseppe Rossi, who hadn't made the matchday squad. This gesture earned him immense respect from the fans.

“I wore number 15 and won 15 trophies – quite a coincidence for me… Spontaneous things happen. Back then, the bench consisted of four outfield players and one goalkeeper. I had the opportunity to be on the bench for the final and came on for about ten minutes. However, Rossi had made a significant contribution to winning that trophy, as he had scored several goals on our path to the cup. That's why I decided to give him my medal. I didn't feel I deserved it,” Vidic recounted in an interview with Sportal.bg.

“Fans might have seen it as a special gesture, but in England, what a footballer achieves on the pitch is paramount. Off-field matters are separate. Everywhere, fans have appreciated what I did as a central defender,” the former defender added.

He then reflected further on his glittering career: “I have to admit, my spell at Inter (2014-2016) wasn't my best, but the fans appreciated my commitment. While individual awards are nice, they are a result of the entire team's good performance. Without a strong team, I wouldn't have become the player everyone knows.

Every trophy is valuable, but two stand out for me – the Champions League against Chelsea (2008) and my first Premier League title (2007). That league title gave me the confidence that I could truly be a Manchester United player.

People only see the good times – the trophies and the finals – but I've had several very difficult moments. When I was at Red Star Belgrade, I had a period in Subotica where I thought I wouldn't make it as a great footballer. Then, I had doubts when I first joined Manchester United, thinking I wasn't ready for the Premier League. Later, I suffered a severe injury.

I can also share three matches that don't bring back pleasant memories. These are the two Champions League finals against Barcelona (2009 and 2011) and the FA Cup final against Chelsea (2007). Drogba scored against us in extra time, and we lost. That's the only trophy with Manchester United that I didn't win,” Vidic recalled.