When Manchester United signed Alan Smith in 2004 there was an agreement that there would be no grand unveiling.
The £7m signing crossed the Pennines from arch rivals Leeds - the club he had supported as a boy.
The move was not well received by those in Yorkshire having just seen their side relegated from the top flight.
Smith had previously said he would never join the Red Devils and he was concerned about the reaction from Leeds fans.
As a result he insisted that a clause was inserted into his contract which meant he wasn't immediately unveiled or asked to face the press, claims the Athletic.
United were prepared to honour his request and confirmation of his move came in late May when he officially left Leeds.
And it wasn't until mid-July that he was first seen in a Red Devils shirt during pre-season.
Smith's first year at Old Trafford was his most successful as he scored 10 times.
But a shocking injury at Anfield led to a lengthy absence from the first-team and he was sold to Newcastle after three years in Manchester.
He spent four years in the north east before moving on to Milton Keynes and then Notts County where he finished his career.
But despite the anger his move to United created at Elland Road Smith has said he "loved it" at Old Trafford.
"I loved it at Manchester United though, it was intense and I saw it as a great opportunity to learn from some of the best of the players," said the Englishman.
"I was probably a bit of annoyance to them because I wanted to learn and put myself against them in training. I remember my first pre-season I would sit and talk to the best players, like Roy Keane."
