This year marks the 20th anniversary of Patrick Vieira captaining that ‘Invincible’ Arsenal side to their third and most-recent Premier League title.
And it’s testament to just how influential and unique the Gunners legend was during his Highburg peak that, twenty years on, Vieira arguably remains the prototype of the complete central midfield player.
Even today, rising stars who share the Frenchman’s fearsome blend of physical and technical gifts are often likened to the Premier League Hall of Fame inductee.
And that includes Sander Berge; the Burnley ace who has been linked with an intriguing late-summer switch to Vieira’s old adversaries Manchester United following the apparent collapse of that Manuel Ugarte saga.
At 6ft 5ins, Berge is actually slightly taller than Vieira.
And while he obviously lacks the Arsenal icon’s truly world-leading talents – Berge may always be destined to be a good player rather than a great one at 26 – the towering Norwegian does tick a fair few boxes for a Man United side crying out for an athletic, hard-running powerhouse of a number six.
One capable of providing a steely platform for Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount to do what they do best.
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Manchester United turn to Burnley’s Sander Berge
“When I brought him back to Valerenga, I compared Sander to Patrick Vieira,” Kjetil Rekdal, who worked with a young Berge back home in Scandinavia, once told The Times.
“He is tall, strong and fast for his stature. He is also not afraid to ask for the ball and will always do something with it. Sander has a good pass. He made an incredible progression in a short time.”
The 46-time international is certainly under-appreciated by the majority.
Berge’s reputation has undoubtedly been affected by the presence of two top-flight relegations om his CV, suffered with Sheffield United in 2021 and then Burnley in 2024.
But the former Genk ace missed the majority of that 2021 campaign with injury. He was one of Burnley’s more impressive performers under Vincent Kompany last term too. What’s more, a relegation or two does not equal a bad player.
As former Red Devil Bastian Schweinsteiger pointed out on The Overlap, Liverpool didn’t do too badly after snapping up Gini Wijnaldum from Newcastle or Andy Robertson from Hull City.
And lest we forget that Roy Keane – Vieira’s old sparring partner – arrived at Old Trafford back in 1993 following the demise of Nottingham Forest.
Put Berge in a stronger team with better players – Man United, for instance – and his on-the-ball qualities in particular will certainly come to the fore.
Like Vieira, Berge defies his rangy frame with a silky-smooth ball-carrying ability.
While he would be tasked with a more defensive-orientated role under Ten Hag, a tally of 13 goals in his last two seasons at Sheffield United also highlights Berge’s ability to break into the box with power and panache.
Ineos deserve the benefit of the doubt in midfielder chase
“I’ve seen a little bit of Sander Berge and he looks very technical. He drives with the ball as well,” former England striker Emile Heskey told HITC shortly after his club-record arrival at Brammal Lane back in 2020.
“I couldn’t work out whether he’s a sitting midfielder, an eight or a ten. But he gets into certain areas and creates havoc.
“He’s very, very good at picking passes.”
Berge is certainly not the biggest or most glamorous midfielder to be linked with Man United this summer.
But for all those questioning the alleged interest – Burnley want £30 million, per The Sun – should remember that picking signings based on their reputations, rather than their suitability or their profile, has not worked out all that well for Man United in the recent past.
Surely, after bringing in an elite footballing team to support Ten Hag behind the scenes, Ineos’ new-look set-up deserve the benefit of the doubt as they set about dragging United’s antiquated recruitment policy into the 21st century.
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