Pollitt stands between United and cup glory

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson must now plot a way past a player he once released if he is to win the League Cup for only the second time in his glittering Old Trafford career.

Ferguson watched with admiration Wigan’s Carling Cup heroics against Arsenal on Tuesday night, and in particular those of goalkeeper Mike Pollitt, who rightly won the man-of-the-match award after a string of outstanding saves.

Pollitt was once on United’s books, signing his first professional contract in 1990 under Ferguson, only to be let go a year later by the Scot without an appearance to his name.

Fifteen years on, and it is now Pollitt and Wigan who stand between Ferguson and another piece of silverware, with the final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on February 26.

“I watched the other semi final with some friends and I had told them I had let Pollitt go,” recounted Ferguson.

“After he made several saves, one of them looked at me and said ‘are you sure you did the right thing?'"