Vidic

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Nemanja Vidic has confirmed he will leave Manchester United at the end of the 2013/14 season.

In a statement issued by the defender to ManUtd.com, the Serbian said: “It’s the last year of my contract and I have had eight wonderful years here. My time at this great club will always rank as the best years of my career.

"I never could have imagined winning 15 trophies and I will certainly never forget that fantastic night in Moscow, memories that will live with me and the fans forever. However, I have decided that I will move on at the end of this season. I want to challenge myself again and try to make the best of myself in the coming years.

"I’m not considering staying in England as the only club I ever wanted to play for here is Manchester United and I was lucky enough to be part of this club for so many years. I’ve got a few options to move on and I will choose the right one for me and for my family.

"I am now going to focus all my efforts on playing for Manchester United and do the best I can for the team until the end of the season. I hope this stops any further speculation about my future."

Manchester United fans ready to say Old Trafford farewell to warrior Nemanja Vidic

The club captain is leaving Old Trafford for Inter Milan this summer and makes his final appearance at Old Trafford

Manchester United skipper Nemanja Vidic makes his ­farewell appearance at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, insisting he has “no regrets”

He is quitting after eight years to join Inter Milan as a free agent and will sign off at the Theatre of Dreams in tonight’s penultimate game of the season against Hull.

Vidic has become an iconic figure with United fans and the uncompromising defender paid tribute to his club ahead of what will be an emotional occasion.

“Manchester United make you feel part of the family,” said Vidic. “I’ve developed as a man at this club and it’s been a great experience for me and my family.

“I have nothing to regret, I’ve given 100 per cent. It’s been a great eight years – or a great seven years because at the moment we’re not doing so well!

“But I have great memories. To win five titles and the Champions League, I couldn’t dream of winning that many titles and of playing with so many great players.

“I’ve learned a lot, not just on the pitch but off the pitch as well.”

Vidic, 32, has made 298 appearances for United, scoring 21 goals, and is likely to reach the 300-game milestone with tonight’s match and Sunday’s final game of the season away at Southampton.

He formed a formidable centre-back partnership with Rio Ferdinand, with United conceding just 22 goals all season en route to winning the Premier League title in 2008.

Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United, injury 2011 A bad one: Vidic suffered a serious knee injury in 2011

A cruciate ligament injury suffered in December 2011, as United went out of the Champions League group stage with defeat at Basel, saw Vidic ruled out for eight months.

He returned the following season but was ruled out for a further three months after knee surgery, but was part of the United side that lifted the club’s 20th title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final campaign.

Vidic paid tribute to Ferguson, who bought him from Spartak Moscow for £7million in December 2005, arriving at United the next month.

“I’ve been playing for the greatest manager ever, I believe,” said Vidic. “It was a great experience and, as I said once before, this is going to be the best part of my career, these years with United.”

Looking back, Vidic hailed the penalty shoot-out Champions League Final win over Chelsea in Moscow in 2008 as the high point of his Old ­Trafford career.

Asked for his most memorable moment, he did not hesitate: “The Champions League final.

“You don’t win the Champions League every year. The club has won it three times and I was lucky to be part of a team who won it once.

“And we won it in Moscow, where I played for Spartak for one-and-a-half years. I came back to the stadium to lift the trophy and that’s the greatest memory I have.”

Patrice Evra, who arrived at United at the same time as Vidic, described him as the club’s “rock” and said it would be tough to replace him with a centre-back of equal stature.

Evra, who is also out of contract this summer and likely to leave, said he shared a special affinity with him as they joined the club together.

“I’m really sad because when you speak about Nemanja it’s like you are speaking about myself because we joined the club together,” said Evra.

“I call him the rock and for me he was a great centre-back. Losing Vida is painful.”

Ryan Giggs has played alongside the likes of Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, Jaap Stam and Ferdinand.

But he said: “Vida is arguably the greatest defender I’ve ever played with, and I played with so many great ones. He is one of them, a great player and obviously he will be greatly missed.”
Defender, leader, legend

Busby Babe wrote:Someone posted the trophies Ashley Cole's won at Chelsea in the GS, and I was shocked he'd only won the PL title once while he was there. Vidic has 5, an integral figure for the most dominant part of our history. You could throw a rock into the box and he'd try to clear it. Our Eastern European hard man.

I want Inter to make Europe soon, and I want to face them. I would like him to get a great reception, just like Beckham did.

Busby Babe wrote:I think Smalling has surpassed him tbh. It shows when they play together, like Bayern away and just the game gone at Hull

Smalling needs to improve on the ball though.

At worst Vidic has gone a season too early. He's declining anyway.

The Serbian came off the bench in the 4-0 victory against Wigan Athletic, soon after arriving from Spartak Moscow eight years ago, but felt Italy striker Rossi was more deserving of the prize, having started the three games before the semi-finals during the cup run.

"I only played for a few minutes in the final and got the medal and, afterwards, even though it was a nice feeling and I felt part of the team, I gave my medal to Giuseppe Rossi because I felt it would be better to give it to someone who had played more minutes than me in the competition. He deserved it."