So when Manchester United, the most successful team in the land, come calling, the temptation to play at a higher level was too much. A bid was made, the negotiations were completed and in the summer of 2006 Kuszczak became United’s newest recruit, with reserve players Luke Steele and Paul McShane heading in the opposite direction. He didn’t get off to a great start at Old Trafford though: whilst most players might celebrate a transfer with a bottle of Cristal and a few friends, Kuszczak put that on ice to play for Poland against Colombia in a World Cup warm-up game…only to be lobbed. By the opposition goalkeeper.
But that was Poland, the country that he left at the age of 18 and who had only capped him a couple of times. This is Manchester United, where winning a treble is the aim for every season. Was this the opportunity when Kuszczak, the first Pole to play for United, could consign to memory all that time spent dwelling on benches and in reserve? No, in short. Because since arriving, that is exactly where he has found himself, once again.
Now into his sixth season at Old Trafford, he has made, on average, ten appearances a season with the bulk of those coming in games of ill-importance: league cup games, European games when qualification has been ensured, Premier League games when the first team may have needed a rest. And, the sad truth is, he’s yet to even make the bench for a game this campaign.
With United having signed two young goalkeepers in the last year –Lindegaard, 27, and de Gea, 21 – Kuszczak not only has to compete with these two seasoned internationals, but also with prodigious talent, Ben Amos. So whilst William Wilberforce should still rest easy, it is easy to empathise with the man who has seemingly been, throughout his career, too nice to agitate for a move. But that is exactly what he needs to do if he is to play any part in his national team’s attempts in next year’s European Championships, compounded by the fact it takes place in their backyard.
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