You rarely see players of Dimitar Berbatov's ilk anymore - those effortless artists who float around the pitch, waving their wand and creating pure magic without breaking a sweat.

The Bulgarian made everything look so ridiculously easy - this was not the most intensive football competition in the world to him, it was a playground; a player who donned a touch so exquisite it should be framed and put on a wall somewhere for all to see.

The word ‘class’ springs to mind when analysing Dimitar Berbatov’s time at Manchester United. This man literally oozed class from every inch of his body – he was the Rolls Royce of football, the luxury very few could afford both on and off the pitch other than United.

It was 2008 when the Berbatov saga finally came to an end. Manchester City, who were enjoying the spoils of their oil-rich owner, had been reportedly interested in bringing the forward to their shores for some time. But despite Daniel Levy’s best efforts to change the course of history, promising City’s representatives that they would be in pole position to sign the player, Berbatov point blank refused to even meet to discuss a deal – he wanted United.

Knowing full well the battle was lost, Spurs parted with their man for £30.75 million and Frazer Campbell on loan (yikes).

The mercurial forward's career in Manchester was turbulent at first. A missed penalty during the 2008/09 FA Cup semi-final against Everton, which they subsequently lost, drew widespread criticism – and though he became the first Bulgarian to win a Premier League title, he failed to make a significant impact the following year drawing speculation about his future at the club.

But this was all to be forgotten following the 2010/11 campaign. Despite playing relatively few minutes, at least as far as we can remember, Berbatov managed to score 20 league goals alongside former Manchester United man Carlos Tevez. Justice.

When we reflect on his career in Manchester we do not think of goals, however;  that would be way too reductionist, even negligent, on our part.

We think about “that” moment of brilliance when he spun his way past West Ham’s defence on the by-line to provide Ronaldo with his second of the game, the countless subtle touches which brought him away from his opponents with such immeasurable ease we barely thought it legal, the weightless movement around the pitch, and the countless memories of sheer unadulterated class.