As far as Premier League centre-forwards go, there have been very few that were more clinical in front of goal than Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Dutchman, who arrived at Manchester United from PSV Eindhoven 12 months behind schedule in 2001 due to a knee injury, found the net on 150 occasions in 219 outings for the Red Devils prior to his departure for Real Madrid in 2006.
Van Nistelrooy made an instant impression on England's top flight when during his first season he broke Mark Stein's record - set back in 1994 - of having scored in seven consecutive games.
But, it was 12 years ago today that the £19m man, who had embarked on yet another goalscoring run of form, extended that sequence into double figures.
It all started in the March of 2003 when Van Nistelrooy fired in a hat-trick during a 3-0 win over Fulham at Old Trafford. Split over two campaigns, goals followed in encounters against Liverpool, Newcastle United, Arsenal, Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, Everton and Bolton Wanderers.
Newcastle and St James' Park would be the destination of his 10th goal in a row, but not before the hosting Magpies had broken the deadlock in the 25th minute through Alan Shearer. Laurent Robert was the creator, swinging in a cross for the Geordie legend to plant a header past United goalkeeper Tim Howard.
That goal handed Newcastle the half-time advantage, but just six minutes after the restart the visitors were level thanks to their clinical marksman.
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Captain Roy Keane played a low through pass for Van Nistelrooy, who was left unmarked on the edge of the penalty area. Having spun to face goal, the Netherlands international then beat an advancing Shay Given with a curling shot that nestled in the far corner of the net. Not only was it his 10th goal on the spin, the Netherlands international had now scored 50 Premier League goals.
Eight minutes later Van Nistelrooy was also in the vicinity as United scored the winning goal, although it was not him that provided the important touch. Keane's cross from the right eluded the striker, but not Paul Scholes, who had ghosted in at the back post to divert the ball in with his chest.
Van Nistelrooy's exploits meant that he was now just two games short of matching Dixie Dean's all-time league record of having scored in 12 consecutive matches for Everton.
However, that proved to be a step too far for the United frontman as he failed to find the net next time out in the 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford.
NEWCASTLE: Given; Griffin, O'Brien, Bramble, Hughes; Robert (Viana), Dyer, Speed, Bowyer (Jenas); Shearer, Ameobi (Chopra)
MAN UNITED: Howard; P Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, O'Shea; Keane, Djemba-Djemba, Solskjaer (Ronaldo), Scholes; van Nistelrooy, Giggs (Forlan)
Liam Apicella
