I'm so sorry to see you relegated to third choice goalkeeper this season. I don't know what it is that made me love you, but I truly did. When you spoke upon your arrival of your boyhood love affair with the little round ball bouncing irregularly around your back garden, you won my heart.

You joined us as a celebrated world champion. You had already won the French League title, the European Championship and the Holy Grail, and you were the bona fide world number one. Your agility and quickness of thought were brilliant. Your distribution was world class --- I still marvel at that effortless defence-splitting 60-yard pass to Giggsy you made on your debut. You not only tried to stop goals, you tried to create them as well. You were truly a genius.

More pertinently, you were a loveable rogue in a team of dedicated professionals. You made watching Man Utd that much more fun when you took to the field as your personality always exuded through the game. Every world class save you made was always accompanied by an impish wink to your grateful teammates. Reputable strikers were reduced to red-faced buffoons with each nimble sidestep that took you past them outside the box.

Your time with us wasn't always all a bed of roses though. But I understood, Fabian. You were really an outfield player trapped in the goalkeeper's jersey. My heart bled for you the night you were left a mangled wreck in the driving rain against Deportivo La Coruna. I still believed in you despite your very public embarrassment on the field against Arsenal. But when you conceded five goals against Real Madrid over two games last season, you seemed to have signed your own epitaph. That you were caught smoking fags in the toilet before the game against Spurs and dropped promptly on the spot was almost an irrelevance. You had lost Fergie's trust. You were on your way out.

Yet in spite of all that I would still like to thank you for a truly wonderful three years. You never sulked even when you were left out of the team and you were the perfect gentleman right up to the end. I hope your loan move to l'OM works out fine and I'll be casting an eye on your new adventure in France.

Thanks for all the memories Fabian. I will remember your natural talent, your passion, your strong work ethic and your will to win; but above all I will remember your penchant for the spectacular that always brought a smile to my face. To hell with the consequences.

With all my gratitude,

Chang Shane

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