Sir Alex Ferguson only had good things to say about Teddy Sheringham when he left Manchester United to re-join Tottenham Hotspur.
After four successful years with the Red Devils, during which he won six major trophies including the Treble in the 1998/99 season, Sheringham decided it was time to move on after United's title-winning campaign in 2000/01.
Despite being 35 at the time and coming off a stellar season as the club's top scorer, he chose not to extend his contract with the then Premier League champions. Instead, he returned to Tottenham, nine years after his first stint with the North London club.
His departure was met well by Ferguson who praised the Englishman for his services during his four-year stint at Old Trafford. The Scotsman said at the time: "Teddy was a great servant for us, he did a great job here.
"I said to him at the time when he was leaving that the offer he was getting from Tottenham, I don't think he could have turned it down. Teddy's proved to be a great buy for them." Back in 2001, Sheringham cited several reasons for his departure, including the desire to spend more time with his young son, reports the Mirror.
"It was no easy solution but I looked at the situation where I had four great years at United and enjoyed the experience, it's been brilliant, and looked at what was happening at the club and what players were coming in as well as the opportunity of going back to Tottenham," he said.
"It was a great opportunity for me and if I had another year at United, it might not have happened next year. The fact of going back to London and seeing a bit more of my son Charlie was a big draw as well."
He also expressed his dismay at his limited role in United's quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich in the Champions League as he said: "I told the manager I was very disappointed that I didn't play against Bayern Munich, especially in the first game at home when we had a lot of good results in Europe this year when I'd been playing."
Despite suggestions that Ruud van Nistelrooy's arrival influenced his exit, Sheringham dismissed those claims: "I don't really see him as a contender for my place or me for him, I think he's more like Coley or Solskjaer and I think that the three of them are very similar." After leaving United, he played for Tottenham, Portsmouth, West Ham, Colchester and Stevenage before retiring in 2008.