On September 16, 1996, David Hirst cemented his place in the annals of Premier League history, albeit not in the way that the vast majority of other players in the league imagine they will leave a mark on the sport for generations to come.
During Arsenal's 4-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday at Highbury, the former Sheffield Wednesday striker set a new record for the hardest shot that has ever been recorded in the history of the Premier League. Hirst struck the ball with what was once described by a former teammate as a "sledgehammer of a left foot," and he struck a shot against the crossbar at an unimaginable speed of 114 miles per hour, leaving Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman motionless in his position.
If it had gone in instead of bouncing down and away to safety, it is possible that those of more than just a Wednesday persuasion would have remembered it in even greater detail. But if Hirst had gotten his way, the man with the "sledgehammer of a left foot" would have been wearing the red jersey of Manchester United instead of the blue and white stripes of Wednesday, which is located on the other side of the Pennines. After being rejected by Alan Shearer for the first time in 1992, former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson turned his attention to Hirst, highlighting him as the ideal candidate to bolster United's forward line. The impression that he was making in South Yorkshire was that strong. At the time, Hirst, who would go on to score 128 goals in 358 appearances for Wednesday, was scoring goals like they were nobody's business. He scored 20 goals in 37 games for the Owls during the 1991/1992 campaign, which came shortly after the Owls' promotion from the old Division Two and their victory over United in the League Cup final in 1990/1991.
It was common knowledge that Ferguson was a fan of the striker who was born in Barnsley; in fact, he later admitted that he was "even keener" on signing Hirst than he was on signing Shearer. Shearer was signed by Ferguson when he was the manager of Everton. The signing of Eric Cantona in November 1992 marked the successful conclusion of United's search for a striker, or so everyone believed at the time. In the end, United signed Cantona. After pursuing their interest in Hirst, who is now 54 years old, United ultimately submitted a bid in the amount of £4.5 million for him.
Wednesday manager Trevor Francis remained steadfast and turned down any advances made by United for his star player, who ultimately remained at Hillsborough for a total of 11 years before moving on to Southampton in 1997. Hirst was so enraged by the failure of his transfer to Old Trafford that he referred to it as the one and only regret he had during his career.
In an interview seven years ago with the Mail, Hirst stated, "I'd been talking to Alex Ferguson for a couple of weeks, and I was going to Man United." In other words, Hirst was going to play for Manchester United. "A fax was received with an offer of £4.5 million, and I was expecting Trevor to say, 'Manchester United, £4.5 million, let's get you out of here!' However, he responded by saying, "I'm not selling you."
"Knocking on the door of the manager to complain that I'm not on the team or that I want a raise is one thing that I have never done in my professional career. If you are unhappy with the terms of the contract, you should not sign it.
"Even if you aren't selected for the team, show up to the practice field and give it your all. If you have not been actively playing the game, it is pointless to go up to his door and brag about what a good player you are. That was never a concern of mine at any point.
"Now that I'm sitting here, I realize that I should have kicked down the door. It's all been planned out, and if Manchester United are interested, your agent will find a way to get you there, hook, line, and sinker.
"From a monetary point of view, there wouldn't have been a significant difference. When we started, we weren't making £50,000 per week. It seemed as though we were all on the same page. At the time, I was playing for Sheffield Wednesday, which was third in the league and had good wages and opportunities to compete in Europe and cup finals. However, being a Manchester United player carries a different connotation. It is the only thing I look back on with regret." According to rumors, Sir Alex Ferguson was so obsessed with the former striker that he tried to sign him on no less than six different occasions. Hirst, who would have easily become the face of England's forward line had it not been for his career being so heavily plagued by injury issues, would have easily become the face of England's forward line had it not been for his career being so heavily plagued by injury issues. The former star of the Owls was a formidable opponent for opposing defenders on account of his speed, strength, and aerial dominance. Wednesday supporters held him in high esteem and continue to regard him as the club's all-time leading scorer.
Given the progress that the club was making in the 90s under Ferguson's leadership, it is possible that Hirst could have become a star while wearing United colors if his request had been granted and Francis had given in to Ferguson's demands. It is possible that they could have won additional trophies if they had a striker with Hirst's predatory instincts inside the 18-yard box when they were winning trophies at a rapid rate of knots. They were adding to their trophy cabinet at a rapid rate of knots.
In his autobiography, titled "One in a Million," which was published in 2019, former Wednesday manager Francis later provided a detailed account of Ferguson's pursuit of Hirst. Francis said: "I can still hear Alex now on my car phone totally exasperated with me because he had put in two offers that I had knocked back, and Manchester United had been following David for a while when Alex Ferguson was the manager. This was during the time that Manchester United was managed by Alex Ferguson.
"After that, he made a $4 million offer, but I turned it down with the full support of the board because we have no interest in working with David Hirst in any capacity. I turned down the offer of $4 million, and Alex shouted in a Scottish accent down the phone, "Do you realize this is Manchester United Football Club, and you are preventing a player from going to Man United?" Alex was referring to the fact that I had rejected the offer.
"I told him that Sheffield Wednesday were a big club, but not as big as Man United, and that I was looking to continue the improvements I was making, and that David Hirst was a big part of my plans to do so. I also told him that David Hirst was a big part of my plans to play for Man United. I remained steadfast in my convictions, but I will never forget what Alex Ferguson had to say to me about how he viewed me!
"I was driving on the Motorway 1 (M1), and he was unaware of the fact that Helen, Francis's wife, was in the car listening to him on the speaker phone. I was driving. If she had been the referee, there is no doubt that he would have been shown the red card for the foul language he used."
In the end, it was kind of appropriate that Hirst caused United more trouble than he did for most other clubs. Throughout his career, he scored seven goals against them, setting a record that he was never able to top against any other opponent.
Because Ferguson pursued the striker with such a dogged determination, it is likely that he is still thinking about how many goals Hirst would have scored for United if he had been successful in signing him. Even now, Hirst should be thinking about how much better his career could have been in the Premier League if he had made the switch.
It will be remembered as one of those "what-if" moments in the annals of unsuccessful football transfers throughout history. But make no mistake about it, Ferguson had his sights set on Hirst, and he did everything in his power to obtain him, even though it turned out that his efforts were not sufficient.
Abiola Issa Mukaila 2 yrs
Great