The two strikers were short-listed for The FA Cup Player of the Round award, run in partnership with UMBRO, after their outstanding Semi-Final performances.

In the closest ever result, van Nistelrooy won by the narrowest of margins - gaining just 51 per cent of the 13,000 votes cast.

The Manchester United front man’s 19th and 58th minute double was the highlight of the 4–1 win over Newcastle United, earning The FA Cup holders a record 17th FA Cup final appearance.

Van Nistelrooy’s goals ended an eight-match drought and led to manager Alex Ferguson predicting that his star striker will finish the season on a scoring spree.

Van Nistelrooy is the first Manchester United player ever to feature in The FA’s Team of the FA Cup and wins £1000 worth of UMBRO football kit and equipment for a local school, club or organisation of his choice, plus an engraved silver salver.

The former PSV Eindhoven forward joins ten other FA Cup Player of the Round winners from the First Qualifying round to the Semi-Final.

He will line-up in The Team of The FA Cup alongside Bishop’s Cleeve FC’s Kevin Slack, AFC Wimbledon’s Rob Ursell, Bath City’s Scott Partridge, Halifax Town’s Craig Midgley, Slough Town’s Alex Haddow, Exeter’s Dean Moxey and Paul Jones, Yeovil Town’s Kevin Gall, Nottingham Forest’s Kris Commons and Newcastle United’s Shay Given.

The team will enjoy VIP status at The FA Cup Final at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday 21 May 2005 and will be introduced to the crowd at half time, though van Nistelrooy himself is likely to be playing. 

Last year’s team included five non-league players as well as Premiership stars Jose Antonio Reyes, Freddie Ljungberg and Bruno Cheyrou.