Here we were hoping that Larsson’s stay for Manchester United would be extended for another day (let alone another 2 months) so he could play in the Manchester United v Europe XI game, and now (for once) the advertisers have pulled off a smart move by including Larsson in the Europe XI squad instead.

Larsson will line up alongside players from Barcelona, Lyon, Liverpool and Real Madrid (surprisingly, no Bayern or Italian players called up yet) to play Manchester United at Old Trafford next week on 13th March.

Larsson didn’t do much for Manchester United in his last few games but he’s been a popular figure at Old Trafford with fans and teammates alike. Ferguson brought him in as striking cover (to keep Saha fresh for the last 10-15 games of the season) and as a positive influence on the training ground, and by all accounts the experiment has been hugely successful.