Literally, when taking over from Edwin van der Sar, a giant of the game in every respect and a man who remains very much in our thoughts after falling seriously ill on Friday.
The Dutchman had helped United win the Premier League title and his last match was the 2011 Champions League final, against Barcelona. He may have been unable to emulate another of our all-time great goalkeepers in Peter Schmeichel, by bowing out with that trophy in his hands, but replacing van der Sar was still a tall order, for anybody.
Sir Alex Ferguson and goalkeeping coach Eric Steele scoured the globe for a suitable replacement before settling on a 20-year-old from Spain, who had forced his way into the Atletico Madrid side at a young age, showing commendable maturity in La Liga.