Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson broke his traditional transfer policy by seeking input from the team's defenders before signing Louis Saha. This occurred after Saha impressed against the team during an FA Cup game in 2001. Saha would go on to score 42 goals in 124 appearances for the club. Despite injury issues, Neville described Saha as a brilliant player who partnered well with Wayne Rooney.