MANCHESTER UNITED have been branded a bunch of overpaid fat cats by Euro rivals Lille.

Striker Peter Odemwingie has vowed to dump them out of the Champions League next week.

He said: “We may not have the fat bank accounts like United players, but in order to show we deserve the money they are getting, we have to kick them out.

“We are ready for anything. Names don’t really count in football. We play more like a team and do not beg for recognition.”

United aces like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney rake in well over £100,000 a week at Old Trafford.

But Odemwingie, nicknamed Osaze, added: “We have quality players who have the experience to face the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney and Ferdinand.

“We have a younger team with strong players, who are ready to prove a point.

“They may have some of the best players on the Continent but we will not look at credentials when we meet. We beat Milan 2-0 in our last match — so playing United is no big deal.”

The Premiership leaders go to France for the first leg on Tuesday but Nigeria hitman Osaze, 23, insists the war of words has already begun.

He added: “I know the game will involve more than just field play. Psychology will be one of them and Lille are a club with character.

“We change our tactics in every match depending on the situation. I will say our coach Claude Puel holds the ace here.

“Alex Ferguson is an institution but we also have good coaches who have what it takes to confront the legend.

“With a good display the return leg in England on March 6 will be a formality.”

The Sun.co.uk

Larsson to sign off at Middlesbrough

Henrik Larsson has confirmed he will sign off for Manchester United at Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday, despite Sir Alex Ferguson being short of strikers.

Larsson was on target in his final game at Old Trafford in the second leg of United's last-16 Champions League clash with Lille, heading home a 72nd-minute Cristiano Ronaldo cross to hand the Red Devils a 2-0 win on aggregate.

But with the 35-year-old Swede returning to Helsingborgs as planned, Ferguson will be left with just one recognised frontman, Wayne Rooney, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Louis Saha both face time on the sidelines.

Larsson said: "It has been great but we said all along that March 12 was the thing. The Swedish season starts on April 1 and it doesn't give them much time to get a replacement striker. I am very proud to have been part of this team but unfortunately I will be going home."

While Ferguson admitted that he was disappointed that Larsson would be leaving, he felt that there was little that could change his mind.

The Scot said: "He has been a credit to himself. His dedication to his job has never changed and it has been a real joy to have him. We would love him to stay but obviously he has made his promise to his family and Helsingborgs and I think we should respect that - but I would do anything to keep him."

Despite seeing his men claim their place in the last eight of the Champions League, Ferguson was left cursing his luck as defender Mikael Silvestre was added to the list of United's walking wounded.

Silvestre was carried off on a stretcher with a suspected dislocated shoulder and the United boss added: "It is not looking good for Mikael at all. At first we thought he had broken his arm but now it seems it is a dislocation.

"It is another big blow for us because in the space of a week, we have lost five players. Louis will be missing for four weeks, although with hamstrings you can never be sure exactly how long they will be out.

"Ole will not be available until March 31, Darren Fletcher is out for two months and now Henrik is leaving us. It has been a bad week, apart from the results."

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