What happened to Kagawa after Ferguson prediction proved wrong at Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes' hat-trick on the opening weekend of the season was important for its own reasons, but it was also notable for knocking Shinji Kagawa off the list of the last three Manchester United players to score three in a Premier League game.

Not a single United player was able to achieve the feat under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal or Jose Mourinho, leaving Kagawa and Robin van Persie - whose trebles came less than two months apart in 2013 - joined by Anthony Martial in 2020 and Fernandes this year.

When the Japanese midfielder hit three of United's four goals against Norwich City in the 2012-13 season, it looked to many like he was just getting started and would be able to help the Red Devils for years to come.

However, things did not quite pan out that way after Ferguson's retirement, with 2021 bringing a quiet development as his career approaches its end in a relatively low-key manner.

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"I still think we will see the best of him next season," Ferguson said of Kagawa after the Norwich game, with the Japan international having endured a frustrating time with injuries during his first season in England.

The hat-trick against Norwich was a perfect example of the player United fans - and Ferguson - hoped they were getting.

Some tidy finishing, sure, but also a sense of swagger and confidence, especially with his second goal, a pass into the back of the net which exuded calm, and the chip to complete the treble.

This was a player who favoured subtlety over brute force, and there was a feeling he would never hit the ball harder than he needed to. When it worked, there were few better sights, but the good times wouldn't last.

Not only did we fail to see him step up the next season, we arguably never saw him reach the levels he showed at previous club Borussia Dortmund.

Indeed, when Greek club PAOK announced Kagawa's departure in December 2021, with the player's contract terminated by mutual consent, there will be some who cheered him on at Old Trafford who took days to register the latest development in his career.

Injury and illness continued to play a part as Kagawa struggled for minutes under Moyes, with the manager revealing United's number 26 missed one game after needing to have his stomach pumped.

Few members of United's squad covered themselves in glory under Moyes, but the emergence of Adnan Januzaj saw Kagawa's opportunities limited and he didn't score a single goal in what Ferguson had hoped would be a breakthrough season.

United would end up taking a significant hit to sell the playmaker back to Dortmund in 2014, with the arrival of Angel di Maria a few days earlier all but sealing his fate, but the return to the Bundesliga wasn't the unqualified success BVB sporting director Michael Zorc anticipated from the "enormous talent".

Kagawa is one of a number of members of Jurgen Klopp's title-winning Dortmund squad to return after a spell away over the past decade, along with the likes of Mats Hummels and Mario Gotze.

However, after showing some moments of quality unde Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, he was unable to sustain his form for the duration of the second spell.

A loan to Besiktas followed, where there were some moments - including a long-range free-kick against Antalyaspor - which reminded fans of the player Kagawa once was.

It wouldn't last, though, and the PAOK spell is just the latest in a series of false starts.

A season in Zaragoza saw the team flirt with promotion to La Liga, but he left after a play-off defeat, and what was meant to be a fresh start in Greece ended with further frustrations.

PAOK's announcement of Kagawa's departure was short and sweet, with the club wishing the player well after announcing the termination of the deal.

At 32 years of age, he may well have more to offer, but this season's return of just two starts and two substitute appearances is a sad sight, given his potential - and occasional delivery - during his time in England.

Still, United fans will always have that hat-trick.