With the loss of Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke from the United ranks, Forlan is the first reserve striker after Van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer though in truth his pace and drive make him better suited to playing on the wing.

If only his last-minute volley in the Champions League against Bayer Leverkusen had gone in, then he'd be a United favourite but he remains a player with plenty to prove.

Now a Uruguayan international, he featured as a sub in his country's momentous final group game against Senegal. He and Richard Morales were introduced to a team losing 3-0 to the Africans and both scored to take the game to 3-3.

Sadly, both missed glorious chances to take Uruguay through, though Forlan's was a goal which showed just what he can do - a dipping right-foot volley that screamed into the back of the Senegal net from the edge of the area..

Some dead-ball magic in United's pre-season also showed that David Beckham has another rival in the free-kick stakes, if not in trendy hairstyles.

When Martin Ferguson, brother of Sir Alex and chief scout of Manchester United, went to see Independiente play, Diego Forlan was not among the players he had been detailed to watch - River Plate's Andres D'Alessandro is believed to have been the targeted player.

But Forlan's pace, two footedness, strength and explosive finishing soon caught the eye. United had Forlan watched a number of times before their interest was publicised in the tabloid newspapers.

At this point several other potential suitors came in for the young Uruguayan. Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb flew to South America to tie up a deal with his club, who, like most other Argentinian clubs, had been hit very hard by that country's economic downturn.

Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren looked to have put one over on Ferguson, his mentor, but it was not to be. Hurried along by Boro's interest, United representatives met the player when he arrived in London to tie up his transfer and paid the money in full to Independiente. Boro had only been prepared to pay in installments.

After a wait in Gatwick Airport of length usually reserved for those on a cheap holiday charter flight, it became clear that Forlan was headed for Manchester and not Newcastle airport.

Having agreed terms and passed a medical he was unveiled to United's fans before their game with Liverpool on January 22nd 2002.

'The witch' joined Juan Sebastian Veron, himself known as 'the little witch' at Old Trafford. Like Veron, he comes from a footballing family of some pedigree.

Father Pablo played for Sao Paulo and Uruguayan giants Penarol and played for his country in the 1974 World Cup finals, while his grandfather, Juan Carlos Corazzo, was an Independiente midfield star of the 1930s. Uncles Jose Pastoriza and Ricardo Bochini are also idols of the Argentinian club.

Forlan was a tennis prodigy as a youngster but decided to follow the family way and started his career at Penarol. After a brief spell at Danubio he made the trip across the River Plate to Independiente, where initially his pace saw him deployed as a winger. In his first full season, 1999/2000, he still scored six goals in 22 matches - from the wing.

In Argentina's complicated league season, now playing as a striker, he scored nine goals in a 19 game Clausura competition.

The entire season saw him score 18 goals in 36 games including 12 in 18 in his last Apertura for Independiente and he became acclaimed as one of the best prospects in South American soccer, despite a lack of Uruguayan international caps.

His playing style has been compared to both Alen Boksic, his playing idol, and Jurgen Klinsmann.

United eventually paid £6.9million for his talents as they sought to add to a strike-force which had lost Andy Cole to Blackburn and while he is yet to match the latter's goalscoring record he is certainly a player of whom more must surely come.

Finally netted his first goal in September 2002 in a 5-2 Champions League victory over Maccabi Haifa. That goal, however, came from the penalty spot.

It would be another six weeks before he finally scored from open play, a late equaliser at home to Aston Villa. And he struck again a week later, firing home a superb shot from distance to win the game against Southampton.