Greatest Man United Players

Forward
758 app
(249 goals)

Nobody embodies the values of Manchester United better than Sir Bobby Charlton. Having survived the trauma of the Munich Air Disaster when aged just 20, he played as if every game was for his fallen colleagues, recovering from his injuries to reach the pinnacle for both club and country. In a 17-year playing career with the Reds, he played 758 games and scored 249 goals - both of which were longstanding records until, respectively, Ryan Giggs in 2008 and Wayne Rooney in 2017 surpassed his feats.
Highly coveted by clubs across the country, the young Charlton, nephew of the great Newcastle United striker Jackie Milburn, joined Matt Busby's Manchester United as a schoolboy in 1953 and turned professional with the club in October 1954.

After winning the FA Youth Cup in 1954, 1955 and 1956, his first-team debut came on 6 October 1956, against Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford, and the youngster made an immediate impact. He scored twice in the Reds' 4-2 league victory, despite carrying an injury. “Mr Busby asked me if I was okay,” recalled Sir Bobby. “I actually had a sprained ankle, but I wasn’t going to admit to it and I crossed my fingers and said ‘yes’.”

Despite his dramatic bow, Charlton didn’t command a regular place until the latter stages of the 1956/57 season, notching 10 goals as Busby's 'Babes' won the league title - the fifth in the club's history. Competition for a first-team spot was intense, but a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers during the next campaign certainly helped his cause - and Busby found it harder and harder to leave out the powerful young forward.

In February 1958, Charlton scored twice in United’s 3-3 draw against Red Star Belgrade as the Babes sealed a place in the semi-finals of the European Cup. Disaster struck on their return, when the aeroplane taking the squad home crashed in Munich after refuelling. Twenty-three people, including eight of his team-mates, perished and Charlton was among those injured. However, his wounds were relatively minor and he was back in action within a month, eventually helping the Reds to reach the FA Cup final. United lost 2-0 to Bolton Wanderers at Wembley, but Charlton and co returned in 1963 to win the same trophy by beating Leicester City.

The England international proved to be an integral component of United's rebuilding process after Munich, plying his trade across the field while the rest of the side was constructed. A permanent switch to a deep-lying forward role brought the best from him, and he was vital as Busby's men won league titles in 1965 and 1967.

Shortly before the 1966 World Cup, Charlton was named Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year and European Footballer of the Year in quick succession. He went on to play a starring role as Alf Ramsey’s side won the tournament, scoring twice in the semi-final win over Portugal. Charlton earned 106 caps in total – three as captain - and his tally of 49 goals stood as an England record from May 1970 until September 2015 when Wayne Rooney broke it with his 50th strike.

Although winning the World Cup is seen as the pinnacle of achievement in football, Charlton’s finest hour at club level came in May 1968 when he captained United to European Cup glory at Wembley. He scored twice in the 4-1 final win over Benfica but famously missed the post-match celebrations, instead conducting a solitary remembrance of the friends he had lost in the Munich tragedy 10 years earlier.

The skipper continued to entertain United fans as part of the famed Best-Law-Charlton triumvirate before he retired in 1973. He then spent two years as manager and player-manager at Preston North End before resigning in August 1975. Bobby briefly played for Waterford in the Republic of Ireland in 1976 before accepting a boardroom position at Wigan Athletic, where he took over as caretaker-manager during season 1982/83.

In June 1984, Charlton became a director of Manchester United. Ten years later, he was knighted, having previously been awarded the OBE and CBE.

A respected ambassador for his club, English football and the game across the world football, Sir Bobby Charlton is a figurehead: a link with the club’s past, present and future.

Midfielder
963 app
(168 goals)

Ryan Giggs closed one chapter of his football career - the epic, decades-spanning story of him as a player - on the same day he started a new one, as Manchester United’s new assistant manager.
That day, Monday 19 May 2014, came nearly a fortnight after Giggs made what proved to be his final appearance on the field - in the Reds’ 3-1 win over Hull City at Old Trafford. At that time he was serving with a dual purpose, playing as a substitute but also managing the first team temporarily. The aptitude Ryan showed in his four-match stint in charge, and the knowledge he had amassed as a player at the club since 1990, made him an ideal right-hand man for new boss Louis van Gaal.

Had van Gaal arrived at Old Trafford in a previous year, he would have had the pleasure of selecting Giggs on his team sheet. The type of player he would have utilised would depend on the year in question - in more than two decades, Ryan adapted and evolved his style from daring and dashing tormentor of full-backs to latterly a calming influence in midfield with a sharp eye for a pass.

By 2013/14, his legs may have lost their explosive acceleration but his brain remained ahead of many a younger rival and his ability to produce telling crosses and assists was never better. In summary, the Welshman was a phenomenon as a footballer - a man to be treasured and talked about in revered tones long after his retirement.

Ryan is United's record appearance-maker of course; he surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's 758 on the night he helped the Reds secure a third European Cup triumph - his second - in Moscow on 21 May 2008. His eventual total of 963 games for United will surely never be topped with one-club men seemingly now a breed of football’s past.

Yet United's most decorated player might never have graced Old Trafford, had it not been for Sir Alex Ferguson’s intervention. Cardiff-born Giggs was attending Manchester City's School of Excellence in his early teens, but Sir Alex made a personal visit to his house on his 14th birthday and Ryan jumped at the chance to sign for his boyhood favourites.

He turned professional in November 1990 and made his league debut in the old Division One against Everton on 2 March 1991 as a substitute for Denis Irwin. His first league start in 1990/91 also proved a memorable occasion, scoring his first ever goal (albeit via a huge deflection off Colin Hendry) in a 1-0 win over City.

Giggs' first senior trophy arrived in November 1991 as United beat Red Star Belgrade in the European Super Cup final. In the following April, he picked up his second winners' medal as the Reds beat Nottingham Forest in the League Cup final and was voted PFA Young Player of the Year by his peers - an accolade he retained 12 months later. More significantly, 1993 was also the year when Giggs and United won the inaugural Premier League title.

Ryan was an integral part of two Double-winning sides, in 1993/94 and 1995/96, before going one better in 1998/99 by adding the European Cup to the FA Cup and Premier League trophy. His contributions to the Treble-winning campaign included a superb solo goal to win the FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal at Villa Park, commonly regarded as one of United's greatest ever goals. Ryan celebrated 10 years at Old Trafford with a testimonial match against Celtic in 2001/02.

A year later he bagged his 100th career goal in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and became only the second-ever player to play 700 games for United when he helped the Reds to a dramatic 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in March 2007. Two months later, he became a league title winner for the ninth time, beating the record of eight championship medals held by Liverpool legends Phil Neal and Alan Hansen.

In the interests of prolonging his club career at the highest level, Ryan retired from international football with Wales in June 2007 after 64 games and 12 goals. In October 2007, he extended his United contract to June 2009. December 2007 brought two landmark feats - Ryan was awarded the OBE for services to football and he scored his 100th league career goal in the 4-0 home win over Derby County. Ryan crowned the epic 2007/08 season, his 18th in United's first team, by scoring the Reds' second goal in the final-day league win at Wigan and slotting home what proved to be the decisive penalty in the Champions League final shoot-out.

Giggs' career continued with a flourish during 2008/09, when he adopted a more central position in midfield or just off the main striker as the Reds retained the title. He was a deserving recipient of the senior PFA Player of the Year award at long last in April 2009, 18 years after first winning the junior equivalent.

Used primarily in his old wing position during 2009/10, Ryan was one of the Reds' most consistent performers until February when, in a challenge with Aston Villa's Steve Sidwell, he fractured his right arm and missed five weeks of football. Despite not adding to his medals tally that season, there was still much to celebrate personally. He was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year - on 30 November, the day after his 36th birthday - and a few weeks later he extended his Reds contract by another year.

Giggs brought up another landmark as he surpassed Charlton's United league appearances record by playing his 607th game against Liverpool in March 2011. He'd already penned another one-year deal and this was no sentimental gesture by Sir Alex: his elder statesman continued to produce some instrumental performances both in the middle and out wide. The 2010/11 title triumph was Giggs' 12th in total: more than most of the clubs in existence.

In what was increasingly becoming his forte, Ryan continued his spree of record-breaking into the ultimately disappointing campaign of 2011/12. In February 2012, he celebrated his 900th appearance in style by scoring an injury-time winner at Norwich City. Even in the final game of the season, as the Reds earned a victory that was so close to earning another title, he was charged with the responsibility of playing just behind Wayne Rooney at Sunderland and pulling the strings - only being denied a goal by Simon Mignolet's stunning save.

There was no time to dwell on the despair that followed in the seconds after the final whistle at the Stadium of Light. Giggs was to get his wish of performing in a major tournament when named captain in Stuart Pearce's Great Britain Olympic squad. It meant he would miss his first pre-season tour but was a fitting tribute to his talents.

Anybody who viewed the event as some kind of swansong were shown to be foolish months later as Giggs, despite a slow start to the 2012/13 season, continued to influence matters at Old Trafford - particularly from December onwards. Notably, the Welshman clocked up his 1,000th career match for club and country in the glamour tie with Real Madrid just days after signing yet another contract extension. Of course, the Premier League title was won just weeks later, with Ryan showing little sign of letting up in his pursuit of continued excellence.

The 2013/14 season marked a new beginning for Giggs and United, as he found himself working for only his second club manager following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and the appointment of David Moyes. Ryan joined the new man’s coaching staff but continued to play, eventually making 22 appearances in an arduous and fruitless campaign. When Moyes left his post towards the end of the season, Giggs was asked to take up the reins and guide the team through the final few games as interim manager.

He was also asked to pick up a very special accolade - a Lifetime Achievement Award at United’s end-of-season dinner in May. An accompanying video of tributes from past and present world football stars including Pele, Cristiano Ronaldo and Alessandro Del Piero reinforced Ryan’s stature as one of the beautiful game's greatest-ever talents and provided a poetic end, as it soon transpired, to his remarkable and epic playing career.

Forward
470 app
(179 goals)

“If I’d been born ugly, you’d never have heard of Pelé.” Many a true word is spoken in jest, and few would argue George Best was the most naturally gifted footballer Britain has produced.
Speed, balance, vision, superb close control, the ability to create chances and score from seemingly impossible situations tells half the story. The other half was an uncontainable zest for the game as it should be played, a ceaseless trickery and joy. Pelé, for his part, dubbed United’s no.7 "the greatest player in the world."

A skinny teenager from Belfast's Cregagh estate, Best was spotted by United scout Bob Bishop, who famously told Matt Busby: “Boss, I think I’ve found you a genius”.

Having fought off initial homesickness, Best turned professional on his 17th birthday in May 1963, made his debut in September – and scored on his second appearance. A first cap for Northern Ireland swiftly followed. And in 1964/65, alongside Denis Law, Bobby Charlton and David Herd, Best was a key figure in the Reds’ first title triumph since the pre-Munich era.

The following season he almost single-handedly destroyed Benfica in the European Cup quarter-final in their own back yard. After scoring twice in a 5-1 success to inflict the Lisbon giants’ first home defeat in Europe he was dubbed ‘El Beatle’.

A second title followed in 1967, and Best proved the scourge of Benfica again a year later in the 1968 European Cup Final, giving the Reds a 2-1 extra-time lead en route to a 4-1 success. Best’s 28 goals that season – he was PFA and European Footballer of the Year – made him United's top scorer, a position he retained over the next four campaigns.

As the Busby era ended and an ageing side was dismantled, Best struggled with the personal demons that would dog him until his death in November 2005. He famously ‘retired’ to Marbella in 1972, before coming back again and eventually leaving for good in January 1974 for a globe-trotting series of destinations taking in, among others, the rather unlikely surrounds of Dunstable Town, Fulham, Los Angeles Aztecs, Brisbane Lions and the Jewish Guild of South Africa.

As he asked, he should be remembered for the back-page headlines, not the front. And what glorious memories they are. His 361 league appearances in Red brought 136 goals; he holds the post-War record for the most goals by a United player in a single match – six versus Northampton Town, in an 8-2 FA Cup fifth-round mauling in 1970.

Best’s send-off in November 2005, a riotous afternoon of applause at West Ham, was followed by a game of which he would have been justly proud. Appropriately enough, fellow Irishman John O’Shea netted the winner.

Forward
404 app
(237 goals)

Denis Law is the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford – one on the Stretford End concourse, the other as part of the United Trinity statue overlooking the stadium’s forecourt where he’s immortalised alongside fellow great George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton. Both stand as testament to one of the Reds’ true living legends.
The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and genuine love for the game made him a hero of a generation and he revelled in the nickname The King. His reign lasted for 13 years.

The first time United fans saw Law score for the Reds was on 18 August 1962, on his debut against West Bromwich Albion. He was to repeat the feat a further 236 times for United, many of those celebrated with what became his trademark - arm in the air, hand clutching his sleeve, finger pointing at the sky. It was a move aped in the playground by thousands of boys up and down the country, no matter their allegiance.

Law’s journey to Old Trafford followed a long and winding road. Starting off at Huddersfield in 1955, he signed for Manchester City for a British record fee in 1960 and moved to Torino in Italy the following year.

He didn’t take to Italian football and one year later Matt Busby enticed him back to Manchester - this time to play in the Red of United. By that point he was an international regular, having been handed his first cap in 1958 at the age of 18.

A goalscorer in the 1963 FA Cup final as United defeated Leicester City 3-1, it was his sixth of the tournament. He was just getting started. Thirty goals in 41 games in the following season saw him finish as United’s top scorer again as the Reds won league titles in 1965 and 1967 but devastatingly, injury deprived him of a place in the 1968 European Cup final side. Law was recuperating in a Manchester hospital following an operation on his injured knee as his mate George Best was running rings round Benfica in the final at Wembley. The following day, he had a bedside visitor - Sir Matt Busby, along with the European Cup.

The United side of the time struggled to match the highs of Wembley, and with Tommy Docherty installed as the new manager and the rest of the 'Holy Trinity' - Best and Charlton - now departed, Law rejoined Manchester City on a free transfer in July 1973.

The final goal of his career came towards the end of the infamous derby match when his backheeled shot gave Manchester City victory and compounded United’s already confirmed relegation. This touch was his final one in league football as he asked to be substituted immediately, cutting a forlorn figure as he left the field, mobbed by invading Reds. Denis Law later talked about this incident, admitting: “I have seldom felt so depressed as I did that weekend.”

He retired from football after the 1974 World Cup finals in West Germany where he made the last of his 55 appearances for Scotland, having scored a record 30 goals - an achievement he shares with Kenny Dalglish. He also held the record for the most FA Cup goals (41) before it was passed by Ian Rush in 1996. While his tenacious style often fell foul of referees - he once sat out two month-long suspensions in the space of a year - he played football the way fans would have played if they had his God-given talent, combining the spectacular with the impudent. His great friend George Best described him as: “Up there with the all-time greats. Electric. As a bloke and as a pal he’s different class.” Thousands of United fans will echo those sentiments.

Defender
688 app
(9 goals)

Bill Foulkes will always be remembered as a loyal and legendary servant of Manchester United, after an epic playing career which spanned a remarkable 18 seasons.
Foulkes, who passed away on 25 November 2013, made 688 appearances for the Reds - a total surpassed by only three men - his team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton and more recently by Paul Scholes and the club's record-holder Ryan Giggs.

An old-fashioned stopper who relished facing a bustling centre-forward, he provided so much solidity to the United rearguard that it was rare for Sir Matt Busby to omit him.

Foulkes joined the club as an amateur in March 1950 and turned professional in August 1951 after leaving his mining job at Lea Green Colliery, St Helens. His United debut came halfway through the 1952/53 campaign as a right back, but he later moved to his favoured position of centre half. The switch suited Foulkes as he preferred to keep things simple, passing to his more gifted team-mates at the first opportunity.

A survivor of the Munich air crash, Foulkes captained a depleted United in the aftermath of the tragedy and led the Reds to the 1958 FA Cup final. Defeat against Bolton Wanderers was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was a rare one.

In a distinguished career, Foulkes won First Division championship medals in 1956, 1957, 1965 and 1967 and was back at Wembley, this time a winner, in the 1963 FA Cup final. Add to that his part in the 1968 European Cup-winning team and it’s somewhat surprising he was capped only once by England, against Northern Ireland in October 1954.

Although noted more for stopping goals, Foulkes is fondly recalled for his happy knack of notching critical strikes. One in particular stands out – his goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in 1968, which helped send Manchester United to the European Cup final.

Foulkes retired in May 1970 but remained at Old Trafford as a coach before moving on to work in the USA, Norway and Japan.

Sir Bobby Charlton once said of Bill: "I have untold affection for Bill Foulkes. We came from the same mining background, and we went through so much together. We were the sole survivors of the accident at Munich who went out to meet Benfica at Wembley. So when the game was over he was the first man I sought out. We exchanged some words... and they were deeply emotional.

"Bill was renowned for being hard, and for being dour, but that didn’t mean he had no finer feelings. When I walked off that pitch after beating Benfica, I was proud to have him at my side.”

Forward
559 app
(253 goals)

Wayne Rooney is Manchester United's all-time leading scorer and the only player to have scored 250 goals for the Reds.
He reached the milestone when he broke Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing record in January 2017.

Rooney's place among the icons of Old Trafford was also secured via his appointment as club captain, an honour afforded to him on the eve of the 2014/15 season.

The striker lifted his first trophy as skipper at the end of his second campaign with the armband, when he grasped the FA Cup in May 2016 following a dramatic extra-time win over Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium. That piece of silverware was the only honour missing from an impressive personal collection that he'd gathered throughout an illustrious Reds career.

Of course, it cannot be forgotten that it was as an exciting teenager that he burst onto the Old Trafford stage in September 2004, netting a wonderful hat-trick on his debut in a Champions League tie with Fenerbahce. Perhaps his performance wasn't that surprising, given the enormous pedigree he had amassed since making a lasting impression on former Academy manager Paul McGuinness some years earlier.

In an Under-9s match between United and Everton, McGuinness recalled: "Rooney scored the perfect bicycle kick, which for a kid of eight or nine years old was really something special." It merely hinted at what was to follow and, of course, it was a trick he would repeat on the biggest of stages - famously in the 2011 Manchester derby, a goal that will be re-shown for eternity.

By the end of the 2004/05 campaign, his first in a red shirt after signing from boyhood club Everton, Rooney had amassed 17 goals in 43 appearances, and was rightly named PFA Young Player of the Year. Rooney’s second season at Old Trafford again saw him take huge strides. He ended the season with 19 goals in 48 matches and was voted both Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year by fans and PFA Young Player of the Year (again) by his fellow professionals, with United clinching the Carling Cup.

Despite a difficult World Cup with England in the summer of 2006, Rooney went on to net 23 times for United as the Reds lifted a first English title in four years. Cristiano Ronaldo stole all the headlines in 2007/08, but Rooney chipped in with another 18 goals. His exciting strike partnership with 19-goal Carlos Tevez was one of the key factors in the Reds' Premier League and Champions League double triumph and cemented his iconic status at Old Trafford. But it wasn't just Wayne's goals that made him stand out.

A tireless worker, Rooney always gave 100 per cent on the pitch and couldn't stand losing. Those traits, from time to time in the past, landed him in hot water, but everybody recognised his immense passion and will to win. The striker's ability to adapt was an attribute often overlooked. Although most at home leading the line or playing just behind a main striker, Rooney also delivered from wide areas on numerous occasions. With pace to burn and an eye for a long, raking pass, Rooney was just as effective creating chances as taking them.

That said, goals were Rooney's bread and butter and not even the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov at Old Trafford in September 2008 could diminish his Rooney's potency. Indeed, the pair forged a strong partnership up front and, in January 2009, Wayne embarked on a scoring run that saw him net in five consecutive league games. A month earlier, he stole the show in Japan as United lifted the FIFA Club World Cup, thanks to his winner in the final and a brace off the bench in the semi.

There was more success to follow in 2008/09 as the England striker picked up his third league winners' medal with the Reds. Sadly, however, Rooney and United couldn't add another European crown as Barcelona were victorious in the Champions League final in Rome.

The striker began 2009/10 in fine fettle and, in a 5-0 thrashing of Wigan in August, he fired his 100th and 101st goals for the club. Come May, that tally was 131 as Rooney appeared, at times, to steer the Reds almost single-handedly through both domestic and European waters. His feats were rewarded with a clutch of individual honours, including the PFA and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards.

Rooney had always displayed remarkable promise: now he had proved the hype was more than justified. In October 2010 he penned a new five-year deal, guaranteeing his long-term United future. And while the striker didn't reach anything near top form until the second half of 2010/11, his contribution to the Reds' record-breaking 19th league title was undeniable. When it mattered most, Rooney was there to bang in the goals and drive United towards glory. He dragged Sir Alex's men back from 2-0 down to net a hat-trick in the Reds' 4-2 win at West Ham and kept his nerve to slot home the penalty at Ewood Park that ultimately clinched the title.

United’s no.10 continued his role as talisman into the 2011/12 season, forging a formidable partnership with loan-returnee Danny Welbeck before Shinji Kagawa's arrival influenced Rooney’s role and he turned his hand to a deeper midfield brief on numerous occasions in 2012/13, though the inevitable drop in goals was mitigated by the impact of 30-goal Robin van Persie. Wayne still scored 12 times in the league though, including two in December’s pivotal Manchester derby win, as United stormed to the title again.

His goalscoring exploits continued in 2013/14, as he reached 200 goals for the Reds in all competitions with a Champions League brace against Bayer Leverkusen. In February 2014, during his 10th season at Old Trafford, he put pen to paper on a new five-and-a-half-year contract.

Rooney found the net 19 times in total to finish as the club's top scorer, including a stunning 60-yard strike at West Ham, which was later voted United's Goal of the Season.

The following campaign proved Rooney true to his word as the senior professional helped guide the younger players during a transitional period for the club. He also showcased his versatility throughout the campaign, serving as a pillar of reliability for the Reds’ new boss who felt comfortable trusting the forward up front, just behind the striker and even in midfield. However, despite his constant migrating, the skipper was still a force to be reckoned with on the goalscoring front, adding 13 goals to his tally, to ensure he topped the club's goal charts for 2014/15.

Another 15 goals followed in 2015/16 when he played in a deeper role under van Gaal, effectively as a number 10 behind the exciting young prospect Marcus Rashford, as the Reds' 12th FA Cup was lifted at Wembley Stadium.

He remained captain under his next boss Jose Mourinho and surpassed Sir Bobby's tally of 249 goals for the club when he netted a stunning late free-kick to rescue a point at Stoke City on 21 January 2017. Rooney went on to score three more goals before the end of the 2016/17 season and helped the Reds to land the League Cup and UEFA Europa League before he decided to return to his boyhood club Everton in summer 2017 - but only after 13 hugely successful years at United, where he will always retain legendary status.

Midfielder
718 app
(155 goals)

You must have a rare and special football talent to impress the great Sir Bobby Charlton.
The United legend summed up Paul Scholes perfectly: "He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."

Part of the new wave of talent that ushered in David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville in the mid-1990s, Salford-born Scholes scored twice on his debut in the League Cup at Port Vale in 1994/95 – and on his first league outing against Ipswich – and never looked back.

A host of golden seasons at Old Trafford include 1995/96’s Double-winning campaign, in which he covered admirably during Eric Cantona’s suspension, finishing second behind the Frenchman in the scoring charts with 14 goals. He was a cornerstone of 1999’s Treble-winners, although suspension ruled him out of the UEFA Champions League final, and, in United’s Premier League success in 2003, his 20-goal haul was vital.

Neat and compact, a misplaced Scholes pass was one of the rarest sights in football. His superb eye for goal and late runs from midfield also served his country superbly on 66 occasions.

An eye problem kept the midfield magician out of action for a large part of 2005/06, but he burst back onto the scene during the 2006/07 title-winning campaign, playing a key role in helping the Reds reclaim the Premier League crown. Personal highlights included his opener in the 2-0 win over Liverpool in October 2006 and a volley of the highest calibre in the 3-0 win at Aston Villa two months later, which earned him the Goal of the Season gong at the club's annual awards ceremony.

His contribution in 2006/07 was recognised by players and press alike - he finished third in the PFA Player of the Year category and fourth in the Football Writers' vote, both of which were won by team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Scholes' good form continued the following season as he helped the Reds to a glorious double and finally buried the UEFA Champions League ghost of '99 when his stunning strike against Barcelona in April 2008 booked United's place, and his own, in the final in Moscow.

Having started United’s first four Premier League games in 2008/09, Scholes then missed two months of action after suffering a medial ligament injury in the victory away to Aalborg. When he returned for the festive period, Sir Alex proclaimed: “It is like having an extra player.” The Reds stalwart looked as influential as ever, and when he didn’t start he often came on to steady the tempo of games and help close out narrow league victories. His opener in United’s 3-0 victory over Fulham in February 2009 – a game he dominated – proved he hadn’t lost his deadly ability to score from distance. Carrick’s corner found Scholes in a familiar position at the edge of the area, and he rolled back the years to thunder in a 25-yard volley that was simply too hot for Mark Schwarzer to handle. He followed that with a vintage header away at Sunderland in April 2009 and, in his 600th game for the Reds, delivered a masterclass in ball retention against Portsmouth 10 days later. He went on to claim his ninth winners medal as United sealed a hat-trick of league titles. Little wonder he was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in April 2009, taking him through to June 2011.

While Scholes questioned his own contribution to the United cause midway through the 2009/10 campaign, he went on to show that he remained a hugely important cog in the Reds' well-oiled machine - thanks to a host of majestic midfield displays. His habit of bagging important goals clearly hadn't deserted him either - just ask Manchester City. His strikes against the Blues, Besiktas and Wolves (his 100th Premier League goal) were all winners, and his contributions against Milan in the San Siro and City in the League Cup were further proof that the big players come good on the big occasions.

Unusually he managed only one goal during the title-winning 2010/11 season, away to Fulham, which was his 150th strike for the Reds. His appearance as a substitute in the UEFA Champions League final defeat to Barcelona at Wembley appeared to be his final game for the Reds as Scholes confirmed his retirement three days after the Wembley final. The announcement came in a typically low-key manner - no interview, no fuss, just a statement on ManUtd.com confirming his decision to stop playing and start coaching with United.

A week later came his richly deserved testimonial match to honour his 19 years of service to the club as the Reds hit six without reply past New York Cosmos, whose director of football at the time was one Eric Cantona. In typical Scholes fashion, the midfielder - who opened the scoring with a trademark strike from 25 yards in his testimonial - sprung another surprise.

Five months later, Scholes reversed his decision to retire, making his comeback in the 3-2 FA Cup win at Manchester City as a substitute and wore the number 22 shirt he hadn't worn since 1995/96. He scored on his first start in his second spell a week later in a 3-0 win over Bolton and netted two more goals before the end of the season.

Paul signed a one-year deal to stay on for the 2012/13 campaign, during which he marked his 700th appearance for the club by scoring in a 4-0 victory over Wigan. It meant he had scored in his 19th consecutive Premier League season, a feat only surpassed by team-mate Ryan Giggs. Having helped United win the Premier League title, Scholes hung up his boots for good after his 499th and final league appearance for the Reds in an eventful 5-5 draw at West Bromwich Albion in May 2013 - which was also Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell as United boss.

Defender
529 app
(33 goals)

One of the modern Manchester United greats, Denis Irwin’s career was one of steady progression to the biggest stage for club and country – where he proved a natural, if often underrated performer, offering sterling service at left-back, with a keen eye for goal.
The former Leeds United trainee was a £625,000 capture from Oldham Athletlc in 1990, having impressed during that year’s epic FA Cup semi-final tussle against the Reds. His first season with United, 1990/91, presaged by a World Cup quarter-final with Jack Charlton’s unfancied Repubic of Ireland, culminated in European Cup Winners' Cup glory in Rotterdam.

But it was the 1992/93 Championship-winning season in which Irwin really established himself. Ever-present, he weighed in with five goals, chief among them a 30-yard belter against Coventry City.

He was the solitary ever-present during the Double-winning campaign of 1993/94, and was a cornerstone of the side that repeated the feat in 1996. Forced to miss the FA Cup leg of 1999’s Treble through suspension, he was back for the Nou Camp Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich, making a mockery of his 34 years.

Further title deeds followed in 2000 – Denis calling time on his international career to prolong his domestic future. A 500th appearance for the Reds arrived during his 10th year of service in 2001 – fittingly enough on St Patrick’s Day, when he skippered the side to home victory over Leicester City. He was given the armband again for the final home game against Derby County – and hoisted the trophy – his seventh title.

Having extended his one-year deal by another 12 months, he eventually brought the curtain down on a glittering 12 years against Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford in May 2002. He remains United’s second most-decorated player, with 13 winner’s medals.

Forward
424 app
(211 goals)

With a lethal left foot that earned him the nickname ‘Gunner’, Jack Rowley fired the Reds to glory in the post-War years as Matt Busby’s United masterplan came to fruition.
At his peak, Rowley, like his equally prolific brother Arthur, was one of the most feared strikers in the country - great in the air and on the ground.

Rowley joined the Reds for £3,000 in 1937 after brief spells with his hometown club Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic, where he scored 10 goals in 11 appearances. In his first full season at Old Trafford, he helped United to a Second Division runners-up spot and a first return to football’s top table since 1931.

As competitive league football was suspended with the outbreak of war, Rowley served in the South Staffordshire regiment, participating in the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1945. He also guested during hostilities for Wolves, Aldershot, Belfast Distillery, Folkestone, Shrewsbury Town and Tottenham Hotspur.

When a full league programme recommenced in 1946, Rowley resumed his career with United. He was a mainstay of the 1948 FA Cup-winning side – with its ‘Famous Five’ forward line – scoring twice in the 4-2 final victory over Blackpool.

In 1952, forging a terrific alliance with diminutive veteran Scotsman Jimmy Delaney, Rowley’s 30 league goals helped United to the First Division title for the first time since 1911.

After 503 appearances and a remarkable 312 goals – he also played six games for England, averaging a goal a game – he left United to join Plymouth Argyle as player-manager, retiring from playing two years later in 1957.

After various coaching and managerial posts, he retired from management in December 1969 to run a sub post office/newsagent in the Shaw district of Oldham.

Forward
467 app
(163 goals)

Mark Hughes made a habit of doing things his own way throughout a brilliant career. They say the only way is down after you leave United, but few players move to a club like Barcelona, and fewer yet return to Old Trafford for a second even more successful spell with the Reds.

His love affair with United began in March 1978 when he signed schoolboy forms as a 14-year-old, but few would have believed that this young midfielder from Wrexham would go on to become one of the club’s greatest-ever goalscorers.

United youth coach Syd Owen was the man to spot Hughes’ potential as a striker and for that every Red owes him a debt of thanks. Sparky made a goalscoring debut against Oxford in November 1983 and six months later marked his international debut against England with another goal.

In 1985 he was named PFA Young Player of the Year and picked up an FA Cup winner’s medal, but a contract dispute halted his progress with the Reds and a year later he was out of United and off to Barcelona, surprisingly snapped up by Barca manager Terry Venables.

Hughes never settled at the Nou Camp and described his Catalan move as “horrible”, scoring only four goals in 28 games. A year later he was sent to Bayern Munich on loan where he refound his goalscoring touch and in July 1988 Alex Ferguson spent £1.5m on bringing him home. It proved to be a masterstroke. Hughes was named PFA Player of the Year in his first season back and rescued the Reds in the 1990 FA Cup final with two goals against Crystal Palace to force a replay that gave Ferguson his first trophy.

He was again named Player of the Year in 1991 and experienced glorious retribution with a man-of-the-match display in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final in Rotterdam, scoring twice in the 2-1 victory over old club Barcelona.

In 1992, another medal came his way - this time the Reds’ first ever League Cup, and the next season saw him complete the domestic set with United’s first league title in 26 years.

Hughes’ new partnership with Eric Cantona lit the touchpaper for United’s title charge and later Sparky was moved to say, “I know the Frenchman changed my footballing life.” And while Cantona grabbed the headlines, it was Hughes’ 100th league goal against Crystal Palace that helped clinch the first ever Premiership crown.

Sir Alex once said: “Hughes was the best big game player I have known,”, and that was never more true than in the 1994 FA Cup semi-final against Oldham when his injury time volley saved United from a shock Wembley defeat. The Reds beat Oldham in the replay and went on to trounce Chelsea 4-0 in the final – Hughes scoring the third to land the club’s first ever Double.

In June 1995, Hughes signed for boyhood favourites Chelsea, but that was by no means the end of his glory days. He won a fourth FA Cup winners medal and a second European Cup Winners Cup gong with the Blues, and extended his playing career with Southampton, Everton and later Blackburn, where he picked up the last medal of his playing career - another League Cup - before hanging up his boots at the age of 38.

It was while at Southampton that Hughes launched his managerial career, managing the Welsh national team on a part-time basis. He masterminded a famous win over Italy and almost took Wales to Euro 2004, before returning to Ewood Park to take up a role as full-time manager of Blackburn. Spells in charge of Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City have followed.

Forward
293 app
(179 goals)

Many great strikers have graced the Old Trafford stage, but none has matched Dennis Viollet’s 32 league goals in the 1959/60 season. Blessed with pace and positional sense, Viollet scored a remarkable 179 goals in 293 United appearances, making him the club’s joint-fourth highest goalscorer alongside George Best.

Moss Side-born Viollet joined United as an amateur in the 1949/50 season, turning professional at the age of 17 and making his debut two years later.

As part of the Busby Babes, he formed a formidable partnership with the physical Tommy Taylor. The marriage of subtlety and strength reaped dividends as United won back-to-back championships in 1956 and 1957.

The following year, having scored in the quarter-final clash with Red Star Belgrade, Viollet escaped from the Munich air disaster with minor head injuries.

He missed the majority of the season and, although he recovered in time to take his place in the 1958 FA Cup final, was helpless as United were beaten by Bolton Wanderers.

In January 1962 Viollet left Old Trafford to join Second Division Stoke City, where he won a Second Division Championship medal (1962/63) and reached the League Cup final (1963/64).

After spells in America and the Irish League, Viollet emigrated to Baltimore in the early 1970s. He later moved to Florida, where he coached youngsters and was eventually granted the freedom of the city of Jacksonville in the late 1990s.

Dennis Viollet died on 6 March 1999 at his Florida home after battling against a malignant brain tumour.

Defender (RB)
602 app
(7 goals)

Gary Neville called time on an illustrious playing career on 2 February 2011, almost 20 years after making his debut for United.
He belongs to an elite group of players who have skippered the Reds to Premier League title glory. Following on from Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane, Neville realised a lifelong dream as he became the fifth United captain to lift the Premier League trophy following the Reds' triumph in 2006/07.

Neville himself had missed the final stages of that season, having suffered ankle ligament damage just 11 minutes into the visit of Bolton to Old Trafford on 17 March 2007. The same injury kept him out for most of the 2007/08 season.

The Bury-born defender was handed the skipper's armband following Keane’s departure during 2005/06. Being one of the Reds' most consistent and committed performers since establishing himself in the side in 1994/95 at the expense of Paul Parker, Neville was a natural choice. As loyal a servant as you could hope to have, and in an age where players rarely stayed put for long, he was among a dying breed of one-club men. "United is the only club I've ever wanted to play for," he says.

Vocal and single-minded, Neville has all the attributes and characteristics of a great leader of men. He entered every game refusing to contemplate defeat, and the fans loved him for it. However, Neville's heart-on-his-sleeve approach didn't endear him to everyone - his badge-clenching, fist-pumping celebration following Rio Ferdinand’s last-minute winner against Liverpool at Old Trafford in January 2006 saw him charged with improper conduct by the FA and fined £5000.

“Are you meant to smile sweetly and jog back to the halfway line?” he protested at the time. "People want footballers to be whiter than white. Do they want a game of robots?" And that about sums up Neville's passion for the game and, more importantly, United.

There was no such censure for Gary’s next high-profile celebration - at the 2006 Carling Cup final, when he lifted his first trophy as captain and collected the one domestic medal that had previously eluded him in his career. The Reds had not won the competition since April 1992, when Gary was in the famous youth team that also spawned David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

Thereafter, Neville's character and determination never altered. "His performance level and drive have never changed," Sir Alex said of him in 2009. "It's more obvious in Gary because he never had the talent of Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes, but he had determination to make sure he was always in the team.

"He also showed that quality to return after a year and a half out with injuries," added the then Reds boss. "We all had concerns that maybe he wasn’t going to come back - at his age, it wasn’t easy. But he was absolutely fantastic. It was a demonstration by Gary that he was never going to give in. He’s an amazing man."

Although he missed out on United's Double success in 2008 due to injury, Neville added to his impressive honours collection with an eighth Premier League winners' medal in 2009 and a second Carling Cup triumph in 2010, after coming on as a substitute in the Wembley final against Aston Villa.

His enduring importance was recognised when the club extended his contract to keep him at OT until at least June 2011, but midway through the 2010/11 season he decided the time was right to retire. He did so with only four players ahead of him in the club's all-time appearance list - Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton, Bill Foulkes and Paul Scholes . When he finally called time, he'd amassed 602 matches for his boyhood club.

Forward
510 app
(168 goals)

One of Manchester United’s few true stars between the wars, Joe Spence's scintillating wing play made "Give it to Joe" the most regularly aired terrace chant during his 14 years at Old Trafford. Indeed, such was his stature in football, he was known locally as ‘Mr Soccer’.
Born in Throckley, Northumberland, the young Spence played for Blucher Juniors and Throckley Celtic. While with the former, he scored an astonishing 42 of the team’s 49 goals in his first season. At 13 he began work as a miner and was conscripted into the army at 17, where he served as a machine-gunner. He guested for Liverpool, Newburn and Scotswood during his years in service and won the Army Cup with his battalion. But in March 1919, the year after the First World War ended, Spence signed for United from north-east amateur side, Scotswood.

He wasted no time in making an impact: scoring four in a 5-1 Lancashire Section drubbing of Bury at Old Trafford on his debut. His official debut came in August when the league programme resumed and he was a model of consistency after that, making 510 appearances and scoring 168 goals. Sadly for Spence, he failed to win any major honours and it was not until he left United in 1933 that he lifted any silverware – the Third Division North Championship with Chesterfield, in 1936.

It was his misfortune to be at Old Trafford during such a time of transition, but in a period when United teams often failed to produce the goods, his entertaining presence was a true highlight. He remains among the top 10-appearance makers for the club and his 481 league games was a record that stood for 40 years until surpassed by Bill Foulkes. Joe later returned to work for United in a coaching and scouting role.

GK
539 app
(175 clean sheets)

Alex Stepney earned Old Trafford immortality the night Manchester United became European champions in 1968.

On that balmy May evening at Wembley, with United and Benfica drawing 1-1, Stepney held on to a ferocious shot from Eusebio to ensure the game would go into extra-time. The additional half-hour was illuminated by goals from George Best, Bobby Charlton and Brian Kidd, as the Reds ran out 4-1 winners, but the importance of Stepney’s save was lost on no-one.

Stepney began his career as a trainee at Millwall, before moving to Chelsea for £52,000 in June 1966. After only three months at Stamford Bridge he made the switch to Old Trafford, Sir Matt paying a then world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £55,000.

On his debut against Manchester City, he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory and by the end of the season had won a League Championship medal to cap a wonderful first season. In fact, such was his contribution that Sir Matt Busby described signing him as “the single most important factor behind our championship in 1967.”

The highlight of Stepney's long career came a year later, when he starred in the European Cup final. That save from Eusebio is still judged as important, if not more so, than any of the goals scored by United in the final. For more than a decade Stepney proved a reliable, steady and efficient goalkeeper. He had excellent positional skills and during the club’s ill-fated 1973/74 campaign was even employed as the club penalty taker. ‘Big Al’, as he was known, remains the club’s top-scoring goalkeeper.

In all he won one First Division winners’ medal, an FA Cup in 1977, one Second Division medal, as well as that European Cup. He joined the NASL revolution in 1978 when he signed for Dallas Tornado, and later had spells as coach of Southampton, Exeter City and Manchester City.

Defender (LB)
535 app
(2 goals)

An unsung hero of Sir Matt Busby's trailblazing side of the 1960s, Tony Dunne is one of the greatest full-backs in the club’s history.
Signed in 1960 from Shelbourne as cover for Noel Cantwell or Shay Brennan, Dunne's big chance came when he replaced Brennan in the line-up for the 1963 FA Cup final victory against Leicester City. A brave, speedy defender, he went on to cement a place in the first team following that success and missed only six league games over the next four seasons.

That FA Cup winner’s medal was only the start. The Irish full-back also helped United to win the title in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968. He played in every round en route to the final and deserved his medal as much as any of the stars who scored the goals.

He left United in July 1973 on a free transfer to Bolton. In hindsight he was probably released too early as he went on to play more than 200 matches for Bolton, contributing to over 700 career league appearances in total. He won 33 Republic of Ireland caps in an international career spanning 14 years. He was Irish Footballer of the Year in 1969, a rare personal award for such a team player.

Midfielder
480 app
(51 goals)

Sir Alex Ferguson labelled him the best he ever worked with, aspiring footballers and Reds everywhere worshipped the ground he walked on: Roy Keane epitomised the unwavering spirit and desire to succeed that Manchester United stands for.

Few sportsmen lead from the front the way Keane did, on and off the pitch - and the fact that more than 70,000 United and Celtic fans paid their tributes to him at his testimonial before he retired in June 2006 says it all.

Images of him rallying the troops, covering every blade of grass in the process define the 1990s for United. He was not afraid to speak his mind in front of the media, particularly if he felt his colleagues were not reaching the high standards he expected.

The Cork-born midfielder began his career with Cobh Ramblers after failing to gain an apprenticeship in English football. Brian Clough took him to Nottingham Forest before he completed a then-record £3.75 million switch to Old Trafford in the summer of 1993.

Two goals on his home debut, a 3-0 win over Sheffield United, served notice of what would follow, and the gladiatorial Keane won the first of seven Premiership medals that season, adding a European Cup, Intercontinental Cup and four FA Cup winners' medals along the way.

He took over the United captaincy from Eric Cantona at the start of the 1997/98 campaign, but his season was cut short by a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in a tackle with Leeds' Alf-Inge Haaland at Elland Road in September 1997.

The 1998/99 season saw Keane experience a range of mixed fortunes. On his way to leading United to an historic Treble, a sending-off in the FA Cup semi-final replay victory over Arsenal was followed by a yellow card during arguably his greatest display in a Red shirt in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Juventus, forcing him to miss that unforgettable night in Barcelona when United were crowned European champions.

Aside from his influential displays for United, Keane - who scooped Footballer of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards in 2000 - proved an inspiration to his country and winning close to 70 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

At the time of his departure, Keane was injured, having broken a metatarsal bone in his foot in United's Premiership match against Liverpool at Anfield on 18 September 2005. He was still out of action on Friday 19 November, when a shock announcement to top them all was made.

Manchester United issued a statement through ManUtd.com declaring that Keane's Old Trafford career was over. The Reds had reached agreement with Keane to end his contract immediately, enabling him to join Celtic. In said statement, Sir Alex Ferguson described Keane as "the best midfield player in the world of his generation" and "one of the great figures in our club's illustrious history."

Six months after joining Celtic and helping them secure the Scottish Premier League title and Scottish League Cup, Keane announced his retirement from professional football on 12 June 2006 following medical advice.

Midfielder
461 app
(99 goals)

It was a fitting climax to United's 1992/93 FA Premier League championship season when Bryan Robson scored the campaign's last goal to clinch a 2-1 victory against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.
Six days earlier 'Captain Marvel' had jointly accepted the FA Premier League trophy with Steve Bruce as the curtain came down on an Old Trafford season in which a 26-year wait for the game's ultimate domestic honour was finally over.

Back and hamstring problems had blighted Robson's season, but in typical fashion he fought bravely to reclaim his place. Indeed, various injuries plagued so much of his remarkable career for club and country, that it was laughably suggested at times by the media that he should ease up! For such a fiercely committed and courageous player it was perhaps just an inevitable price that had to be paid.

In his early days with West Bromwich Albion, three leg breaks inside a year threatened his future, but with great determination he somehow made a complete recovery.

He had appeared in close to 200 league games for the Baggies, scoring 39 goals, when new United boss Ron Atkinson returned to his former club and paid a joint fee of around £2 million to bring both Robson and Remi Moses to Old Trafford in October 1981. The deal rated 'Robbo' at a then-record £1.5 million.

Some doubted Atkinson's wisdom, but Robson was destined to become one of the game's midfield greats. He quickly grew in stature, replacing Ray Wilkins as club captain, a player with whom he enjoyed such a fine understanding and one who helped develop Bryan's already mature reading of the game.

A supreme motivational force, Robson in his prime was a shining diamond, blessed with a seemingly endless supply of stamina, great creative passing skills in attack or defence, controlled aggression in the tackle, plus the added bonus of genuine pace and powerful shooting and heading ability.

Robson scored well over a century of league goals in his career – many from steaming late blind side runs into the area. But perhaps above all, he was an inspiring captain for both club and country, uniquely leading United to a hat-trick of FA Cup wins in 1983, 1985 and 1990. In the '83 final against Brighton and Hove Albion he scored twice in the 4-0 replay victory.

He was a League Cup finalist in 1991 and collected a prized European medal when he lifted the Cup Winners' Cup in the same season.

Robson won 90 caps for England, wearing the Three Lions in three World Cups. His 26 international goals included a hat-trick against Turkey in 1984, and a strike after just 27 seconds against France in the 1982 World Cup, which was the second-fastest goal of the tournament’s final stages.

In his final two seasons Robson started only 15 Premier League matches, but usually made a telling contribution when called upon and could hardly have ended his illustrious career on a more satisfying note than seeing United complete the coveted League and Cup Double in 1994.

An early recruit by England's new manager Terry Venables as coach and right-hand man, Robson was quickly snapped up on a lucrative contract by Middlesbrough when he announced his impending exit from Old Trafford. After seven seasons there as manager, and following a relegation battle, Robson left in June 2001.

He later resurfaced with his first club, West Bromwich Albion with whom he completed a remarkable escape from Premiership relegation in 2004/05, before spells at Sheffield United and as the national boss of Thailand. These days he's a Manchester United ambassador, bringing him into contact with many of the fans who idolised him for over a decade.

Defender
414 app
(51 goals)

Pound for pound, the £825,000 Alex Ferguson paid Norwich City for this craggy, uncompromising centre-half two weeks short of his 27th birthday in December 1987, was one of the best deals Manchester United have ever done.
Bruce’s central defensive partnership with Gary Pallister – the pair were affectionately dubbed ‘Dolly and Daisy’ – was the bedrock on which three Championship-winning sides were built (1993, 1994 and 1996), as well as successes in the European Cup Winners' Cup (1991), FA Cup (1994, 1996) and the League Cup (1992). It was arguably Bruce’s two critical late, late goals – a pair of towering headers – against Sheffield Wednesday that tipped the 1992/93 Premiership title race in United’s favour and really got the ball rolling for United’s dominance of the modern game.

Bruce’s was a steady climb to the football summit. A product of the famous Wallsend Boys Club that gave the game talents like Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and Michael Carrick, he represented Newcastle schoolboys, but was rejected at 16 by his boyhood idols, as well as Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday and Southport because he was perceived to be too small. He subsequently got a job at the Swan Hunter shipyard as a trainee plumber but a week before he was due to start was offered an apprenticeship with Gillingham.

After making his league debut for the Gills at the start of the 1979/80 season while still just 17, he went on to make more than 200 league appearances for the Kent club before Norwich paid £135,000 for his services in August 1984. At Carrow Road, Bruce won a League Cup winner’s medal in 1985 and the Second Division Championship medal the following year. Remarkably, for all his subsequent honours at Old Trafford, Bruce was never selected for a full England cap, though he did lead the side at B level.

He finally left the Reds on a free transfer for Birmingham City in the 1996 close season after nine years, 414 appearances and a prolific 51 goals. Assisted by his accuracy from the penalty spot he had remarkably finished as the club’s joint top scorer in 1990/91 with 19 goals in all competitions.

In 1998 he started out on the management trail with Sheffield United as player-manager, and has also been in charge at Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic, Crystal Palace, Birmingham City, Wigan, Sunderland, Hull City and currently Aston Villa.

Defender (CB)
455 app
(8 goals)

Rio Ferdinand proved himself to be one of the finest defenders in world football during 12 successful years at Manchester United.
Armed with elegance, pace and astute reading of the game, Ferdinand was a distinguished servant from 2002 until 2014, forming one of the most formidable central-defensive partnerships in the club's history alongside Nemanja Vidic.

Ferdinand made 455 appearances for the Reds and scored eight goals, winning six Premier League titles, one European Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and two League Cups. Rio called time on his trophy-laden stay at Old Trafford on 12 May 2014, saying: "After 12 fantastic years playing for what I regard as the best club in the world, I have decided the time is right for me to move on."

The Peckham-born star initially burst onto the scene with West Ham under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, later signing for Leeds in November 2000. However, the 2002 World Cup was confirmation of Rio's credentials as his performances with England ultimately convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to part with an estimated £30million, a record fee for a defender.

Although his first season was initially hampered by injury, Rio became an integral player as United overtook Arsenal to claim the Barclays Premier League, capping a fine debut season in M16 for the new recruit.

However, in September 2003, disaster struck as Ferdinand missed a routine drugs test and was later banned from football for eight months, not returning until a 2-1 win over Liverpool in September 2004.

After that, Rio consistently justified his tag as a world-class defender, providing the silk to United's defensive steel while chipping in with occasional valuable goals.

In May 2008, Ferdinand signed a new five-year contract to keep him at Old Trafford until 2013. Six days later, he would help United seal UEFA Champions League glory in Moscow; a fitting way to end a near flawless season for the centre-back.

His good form continued into the 2008/09 campaign, playing a crucial role in United's record-breaking clean-sheet run. Certainly, without his consistency at the back, the Reds may not have gone on to win another league title.

Unfortunately, injuries interrupted Rio's 2009/10 campaign and the defender made just 12 starts in the league. He fared slightly better in 2010/11, starting half of United's 38 league fixtures as the Reds marched towards a record-breaking 19th title.

There was further improvement in 2011/12, when Ferdinand was a near ever-present in the back four. Although the campaign yielded no major trophies, the centre-back made 38 appearances and his invaluable experience helped United take the title fight down to the final day.

Predictably, cynics outside Old Trafford dismissed the veteran after he was omitted from England's Euro 2012 squad, but in hindsight they could not have been more wrong following yet another classy campaign in which the title was reclaimed from Manchester City in 2012/13.

Notably, Ferdinand's form warranted a place in the PFA Team of the Year and, after five years without scoring, he even managed to net the winner in Sir Alex's final home match as manager against Swansea.

"Winning can't get boring," Rio said after United sealed the championship with victory over Aston Villa in April 2013. "It's always sweet when you win the title and it was nice to do it at Old Trafford and in the right way: in style."

Rio then signed a one-year contract extension but in May 2014 he decided to bring down the curtain on his stay in Manchester. Ferdinand will be remembered at Old Trafford as a giant of modern football and is widely regarded as one of the finest defenders in the club's history and, indeed, in the English game.

"I joined United in the hope of winning trophies, and never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how successful we would be during my time here," Rio said. "Circumstances didn't allow for me to say goodbye the way I would have liked, but I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates, the staff, the club and the fans for an unbelievable 12 years that I will never forget."

Forward
471 app
(127 goals)

Brian McClair booked his place in the annals of Old Trafford history when he became the first player since George Best to score 20 league goals for the Reds.

Numerous strikers had strived but failed to achieve the feat in the intervening 20 years - a plausible explanation, no doubt, for United's failure to win the title in that period. If only the formula were so straightforward - McClair might have scored 24 goals in his debut season but still the league was out of reach. For 1987/88 was also the season when Liverpool went on the rampage, finishing nine points ahead of United.

Like his '70s and '80s predecessors, McClair had to settle for success in the cup competitions as the quest for the Holy Grail, the elusive league title, continued. As the spearhead in a thriving partnership with Mark Hughes, he more than played his part as the Reds won four trophies between 1990 and 1992.

The honour of scoring the winning goal in the 1990 FA Cup Final may have gone to the left-back Lee Martin but in the three previous rounds against Oldham (semi-final replay), Sheffield United and Newcastle, McClair was there, on the scoresheet. It was a similar story in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1990/91 - McClair scored against every team that United faced until the final, when Hughes netted a match-winning brace against Barcelona.

Cup Final winners would not elude McClair for long, however. He was the only man on target when United won the European Super Cup against Red Star Belgrade in 1991 and the League Cup at Nottingham Forest's expense in 1992. These honours extended his already impressive CV - with previous club Celtic, he won the Scottish Cup in 1985 and the Championship in 1986. He was Scotland's Player of the Year in 1987.

The prolific striker became a bustling midfield player following Eric Cantona's arrival. One of the greatest goals from the mid-1990s - Eric's audacious chip against Sunderland at Old Trafford - was created by McClair's energetic run and measured pass.

McClair achieved his league title ambition with United in 1993 and won the club's first Double in 1994 when, as a substitute, he scored the last goal in the FA Cup Final win over Chelsea. Prior to leaving in 1998, McClair won another Double in 1996 and another title in 1997, albeit with a decreasing number of appearances. After cutting his coaching teeth at Motherwell and then Blackburn, McClair returned to United in 2001 for the start of a successful career in the backroom staff.

Defender
437 app
(15 goals)

A pacy defender with excellent aerial ability and terrific ball control given his towering 6ft 4in frame, Gary Pallister formed half of arguably the greatest central defensive partnership the club has known.
With Steve Bruce by his side ‘Dolly and Daisy’, as they were affectionately dubbed, saw off all comers to United’s 18-yard box in a glorious seven-season stint together.

Their rock-like presence yielded three Premiership titles (1993, 1994, 1996), two runners-up spots, the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup, three FA Cups (1990, 1994, 1996) and the League Cup of 1992.

Born on the Kent coast in Ramsgate in June 1965, Pallister started his career with non-league Billingham Town and joined the Reds from his boyhood heroes Middlesbrough for £2.3 million in August 1989 – then a record fee for a British defender.

Given a weight-training regime to bulk up his skinny body, the 13th-placed finish of his first season was followed by a remarkable run in which United finished outside the top two just once in the next eight campaigns.

An imposing backline, in which Pallister was a permanent fixture (he missed just one league game between 1992 and 1995), proved a cornerstone of this success. He was voted PFA Player of the Year in 1992 and was unlucky not to win more than 22 England caps.

After nine years at Old Trafford and 317 league appearances – and a further title success in 1996/97 following Bruce’s departure – Pallister’s career went full circle, leaving United to return to the north-east with Premiership new boys Boro for £2.5 million in the summer of 1998. All that success, and a £200,000 profit!

Pallister is still a regular face at Old Trafford, occasionally popping up on MUTV as a pundit. And though stopping goals is the thing he will be largely remembered for, his brace of headers against Liverpool at Anfield, to all but clinch the 1997 title, burns brightly in any self-suspecting Red’s memory bank.

Midfielder
394 app
(85 goals)

Arguably one of world football’s biggest names, David Beckham is a global phenomenon but a part of him will be forever Red.
A decade spent marauding up United’s right wing contributed to the most successful period in the club’s history, and his 57-yard strike against Wimbledon is surely one of the most replayed goals of all time. He followed in the footsteps of his boyhood idol Bryan Robson by eventually captaining England, and he is the only England player to have scored in three different World Cups.

The story began in July 1991 when a lifelong United fan moved north from Leytonstone to sign apprentice forms for the Reds. He formed part of the Class of ‘92 that won the FA Youth Cup along with Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville but had to wait for his league debut - at home to Leeds United on 2 April 1995. The departure of Andrei Kanchelskis freed up a place of the right of midfield, and Beckham made it his own. Bagging the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea proved he was a man for the big occasion, and the season ended with United winning a second Double.

Beckham began the 1996/97 campaign with that goal from the halfway line at Selhurst Park and a month later began his England journey with a debut against Moldova. That season brought another Premiership medal, but in 1998 Arsenal took the title back as Beckham headed for the World Cup in France. After being left out of the starting line-up for England’s first two matches, he then scored a stunning free-kick against Colombia and was hailed a national hero. It wasn’t to last. Facing Argentina in the second round, he was sent off for a foul on Diego Simeone and ten-man England were knocked out.

Mocked by the press and vilified by fans across the country, he was welcomed back into the arms of the United family. Beckham responded by scoring a trademark free-kick against Leicester City in the first Premier League game of 1998/99, and went on to enjoy a season that would have been beyond his wildest dreams as the Reds won the Treble. Among his many contributions to that glorious campaign were the equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur in the final league fixture, as Sir Alex Ferguson's men came from behind to clinch the title at Old Trafford, and the two corners from which United scored last-gasp goals through Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

The following season brought his fourth Premiership winner's medal and Beckham was voted the second best player in Europe and the world as Rivaldo of Barcelona and Brazil pipped him to both awards. 2000/01 was another Premiership-winning season and having been handed the England captaincy he almost single-handedly booked his country’s place in the 2002 World Cup finals with an incredible matchwinning performance against Greece at Old Trafford.

Ever the trend-setter, Beckham introduced the world to the word 'metatarsal' when he broke his foot in a Champions League match against Deportivo la Coruna but recovered in time to score a redemptive penalty against Argentina in the World Cup.

The next season proved to be his final one at Old Trafford and after months of speculation, Beckham made the switch to Real Madrid in the summer of 2003 but not before picking up his fifth Premiership medal and signing off in style with a final free-kick goal in his last United game against Everton.

Beckham spent four seasons in Spain, winning La Liga in the last of those, before signing for LA Galaxy, where he won two MLS Cups. Two loan spells with AC Milan followed before he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in January 2013 and helped them to win their first French league title for 19 years. He played his last competitive match before retiring from football, Lorient v PSG, on 26 May 2013 - also the 14th anniversary of his finest hour in a United shirt, the night when the Treble was won.

Beckham is England’s second most-capped outfield player with 115 appearances.

Forward
292 app
(118 goals)

Cristiano Ronaldo exhausted all superlatives during his six years with United, while he matured from an inexperienced, young winger in 2003 into officially the best footballer on the planet in 2009.
On the day he departed for Real Madrid in a deal worth £80m - making him the world's most expensive player - his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson said, "Cristiano has been a marvellous player for Manchester United. His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over."

The story goes that Sir Alex was persuaded to buy Ronaldo - largely unknown when he signed as an 18-year-old for £12.24m in 2003 - by his players on the plane home from a pre-season friendly against Sporting. In truth, the boss had long been aware of his ability. The urgency stemmed from other clubs’ increasing interest. This was a target Sir Alex simply could miss out on.

Ronaldo wasted little time in showing off his sublime skills with a stunning 30-minute debut against Bolton at OT in August 2003. There was a buzz of excitement as soon as he stepped off the bench and, after 39 appearances and eight goals that season – including the opener in the 3-0 FA Cup final win over Millwall – he was named Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.

His second term didn’t quite live up to his first, but late season form saw him end 2004/05 with nine goals in 50 appearances. In 2005/06 Ronny again reserved his best form for the latter stages, but the inconsistencies of a developing young player were being ironed out. He departed, full of hope and with great expectations, for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany - what turned out to be a truly defining moment in his career. In the quarter finals, Portugal met England and, after Wayne Rooney’s sending off, Ronaldo became the pantomime villain for the English press. Some doubted he would return to Manchester. But Sir Alex assured him any ill-feeling would blow over. It’d happened with Eric Cantona and David Beckham. Ronaldo met the inevitable boos with the best football of his life.

United’s title success in 2006/2007 was a team effort, but one man took the lead role in every major plotline. It began with the barnstorming 5-1 win over Fulham – Ronaldo and Rooney ran the show and publicly banished claims they were at odds. Dazzling wing-play was backed with regular assists and crucial goals. His form that season brought a glut of individual accolades and, despite interest from other clubs - notably Real Madrid - he extended his contract until 2012.

Ronaldo improved further in 2007/08, netting a staggering 42 goals in all competitions. In May 2008 he fired United to domestic and European glory; scoring a decisive penalty on the final day of the league campaign and a powerful header in the Champions League final in Moscow. His staggering individual performances gleaned a clean sweep of club and domestic individual honours, with global gongs soon to follow.

At Euro 2008, Ronaldo’s future was again the subject of claim and counter-claim. Happily, in the end, he pledged his allegiance to United, although ankle surgery delayed his start to the 2008/09 campaign. He made his return as a substitute against Villarreal in the Champions League and was given a rousing home reception. Two months later, his 100th Reds goal arrived against Stoke City at OT on 15 November 2008.

Ronaldo’s magical 2008 was rounded off with another string of individual honours. In October he was named FIFPro Player of the Year, and in December became the first United player since George Best in 1968 to be awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or trophy. To cap it off, in January 2009, he became the first Red to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award. "This is the climax of a fantastic era," he said. "I'm lucky to be part of United's history. It's one of the most important moments of my life, I hope to be back in this position again."

While Ronaldo did not dominate on the field in 2008/09 to the same degree as he did in 2007/08, he still played a significant role as the Reds achieved a hat-trick of league titles and reached a second successive European Cup final. For example, Cristiano scored in all three knock-out rounds of the Champions League, including the club's Goal of the Season to defeat Porto in the quarter-final second leg in his native Portugal and a double in the semi-final second leg against Arsenal.

In his final appearance at Old Trafford, Ronaldo received his third championship medal after the Reds sealed the title with a point against Arsenal. There was no indication then that Cristiano was contemplating an exit - but that all changed on 11 June 2009 when United announced he had "expressed his desire to leave" and that Real Madrid's world record £80m offer had been accepted. Less than three weeks later, the transfer was concluded.

Goalkeeper
398 app
(112 clean sheets)

Peter Bolesław Schmeichel MBE (born 18 November 1963) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and was voted the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993. He is best remembered for his most successful years at English club Manchester United, whom he captained in the 1999 UEFA Champions League to complete the Treble, and for winning UEFA Euro 1992 with Denmark.

Born in Gladsaxe, Copenhagen, Schmeichel was famous for his intimidating physique (at 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) tall and weighing close to 100 kg (15 st 10 lb) during his playing days), and wore specially made size XXXL football shirts. A fierce competitor, he was known for his loud, unstinting criticism of mistakes he believed the defenders in front of him committed. Unusually for a goalkeeper, Schmeichel scored 10 goals during his career, including one for the national team. He is also the most capped player for the Denmark national team, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001. In addition to Euro 92, he played for his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three additional European Championship tournaments. He captained the national team in 30 matches. He also represented Gladsaxe Hero, Hvidovre, Brøndby, Sporting CP, Aston Villa and Manchester City in a career that lasted from 1981 until 2003 and yielded 24 trophies.

Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, the IFFHS ranked Schmeichel among the top ten keepers of the 20th century in 2000, and in 2001, Schmeichel won a public poll held by Reuters, when the majority of the 200,000 participants voted him as the best goalkeeper ever, ahead of Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks. In 2003, Schmeichel was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his impact on the English game. In March 2004, he was named as one of the "125 greatest living footballers", at the FIFA 100 celebrations. His son, Kasper, is also a professional football goalkeeper, currently playing for Premier League side Leicester City and the Danish national team.

Forward
366 app
(126 goals)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reluctantly called time on his United playing career on 28 August 2007 – eleven years and three days after it began with a goalscoring debut.
On the field, the Norwegian became an embodiment of United’s never-say-die spirit in their most successful decade, often scoring late goals when points or trophies looked to have been lost. But off the field, he finally had to admit one defeat - in his battle with a persistent knee injury.

On retiring, Ole said: “I would like to thank the manager, the coaching and medical staff and most of all the supporters.

"The supporters have been fantastic and were a real inspiration to me when I was out injured. I feel proud to have represented United for 11 years and have some very special memories."

Ole's many career highlights include his four goals in 12 minutes as a substitute at Nottingham Forest, in United's record away win (8-1). But surely the most special memory of all would be the Champions League final in 1999 when he best exhibited his ability to seize the whisker of a chance. His injury-time toe-poke past Bayern Munich keeper Oliver Kahn completed United's Treble and cemented his place in Reds folklore.

Forward
335 app
(36 goals)

William Henry Meredith (30 July 1874 – 19 April 1958) was a Welsh professional footballer. He was considered one of the early superstars of football due to his performances, notably for Manchester City and Manchester United. He won each domestic trophy in the English football league and gained 48 caps for Wales, for whom he scored 11 goals and won two British Home Championship titles. His favoured position was outside right, and his key skills were dribbling, passing, crossing and shooting. A dedicated and extremely fit professional, his habit of chewing on a toothpick during games made him instantly recognisable.

In 27 seasons in the Football League from 1892 to 1924 (not including the four seasons lost to the First World War and the 1905–06 season in which he was banned for bribing an opposition player), he scored 176 goals in 740 league and cup appearances. He played for Chirk, before joining Northwich Victoria in 1892. His career took off when he signed with Manchester City in 1894 and turned professional in January 1895. He captained the team to the club's first major honour, a 1–0 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the 1904 FA Cup Final. He moved to Manchester United in May 1906 after being banned for bribing Aston Villa half-back Alex Leake £10 to lose a match. There he won the league title in 1907–08 and 1910–11, the FA Cup in 1909, as well as two FA Charity Shields. He also helped to set up the Players' Union, which was a fore-runner of the Professional Footballers' Association. He returned to Manchester City in 1921 at the age of 47 and played a further 32 games before retiring in 1924, making him the oldest ever player for City, United and Wales. He later ran the Stretford Road Hotel and helped to coach the short-lived Manchester Central.

Defender
300 app
(21 goals)

Nemanja Vidić (born 21 October 1981) is a Serbian retired professional footballer. He was part of the Serbia national team from 2002 to 2011.

After establishing himself at Red Star Belgrade during the early 2000s, Vidić moved to Spartak Moscow in the summer of 2004. He further garnered breakout attention when he was part of the "Famous Four" Serbian national team defense that conceded just one goal during the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, prompting a £7 million transfer to Manchester United in January 2006. Vidić then established a prominent defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand the following season, earning a reputation as one of the world's best centre-backs, due to his defensive consistency and awareness, as well as his strength, leadership, and ability in the air.

Vidić collected a host of honours in his United career, including three consecutive Premier League titles (five titles in total), the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Club Cup, three League Cup medals, as well as being included in three consecutive (four in total) PFA Team of the Year sides from 2007 to 2009. In the 2008–09 season, he helped United to a record-breaking run of 14 consecutive clean sheets and was awarded the Premier League Player of the Season award. He clinched his second award three seasons later, becoming the first defender to achieve this, and the third overall behind Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo. Vidić was eventually selected as the new team captain of Manchester United at the start of the 2010–11 season. His captaincy ran over the course of three seasons, until his departure in July 2014.

After a period of eight years in Manchester, Vidić joined Serie A club Internazionale on a free transfer. Vidić namely featured as a rotational player for two seasons, eventually agreeing to an early termination of his contract on January 18, 2016, as a result of inactivity due to a hernia injury. Vidić then announced his retirement just under two weeks later, on January 29.

Goalkeeper
266 app
(90 clean sheets)

Edwin van der Sar (born 29 October 1970) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During his career he played for Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the second most capped player in the Netherlands national team's history. He currently works as the chief executive officer at Ajax. He came out of retirement to play for Dutch amateur team VV Noordwijk.

He started his senior career at Ajax and is considered to be a member of a golden generation of players at the club. He remained there for nine years before moving to Italian club Juventus and then to England, first to Fulham and then to Manchester United. He is one of the few footballers to have won the UEFA Champions League with two different teams – with Ajax in 1995 and Manchester United in 2008; in the latter, he was also named UEFA Man of the Match. Van der Sar also won the UEFA Cup with Ajax in 1992.

Van der Sar is one of the most decorated and successful footballers ever, having won 27 major trophies in his career, mainly at Ajax and Manchester United. Van der Sar also set numerous records in his career. In the 2008–09 season he set the world league clean sheet record by not conceding a single goal for 1,311 minutes. Until 2017 he was the most capped player for the Netherlands national team, with 130 caps, until Wesley Sneijder surpassed him. He is also the oldest player to win the Premier League, at 40 years and 205 days old. Van der Sar has won several individual awards, including Best European Goalkeeper in 1995 and 2009, and UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year in 2009. He is considered, by critics and fellow players, as one of the best goalkeepers of all time.

Forward
182 app
(82 goals)

“Le Roi”.“Le Dieu”. Or good old – but never, ever, plain old – Eric. Whatever you want to call Monsieur Cantona, the Frenchman’s four-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford are the stuff of legend.
No.7 shirt collar as stiffly upright as if it had been starched, that imperious look, theatrical swagger and poise, Eric Cantona was born to play for Manchester United – and, even better, he was pinched from across the Pennines to do so.

The wandering ‘enfant terrible’ of French football, despite title success with Marseille in 1991 and close on a half-century of caps for his country, Cantona had famously ‘retired’ from the game at 25 when a trial with Sheffield Wednesday alerted the attentions of Leeds United boss Howard Wilkinson, eager to bolster his side’s flagging title fortunes for the 1991/92 run-in. Enough said about that…Astonishingly, given his success in Yorkshire and a Charity Shield hat-trick against Liverpool during the 1992/93 curtain raiser, Sir Alex Ferguson’s enquiry as to whether the mercurial Frenchman might be for sale was met with a nod in December. A £1.2 million deal – no, that’s not a misprint – was promptly done, and Cantona went to work.

The next four-and-a-half seasons would see him stamp his name indelibly on the club’s history, his heart and soul seemingly in tandem with it: his prophetic pronouncements, his pure, well, Frenchness, finding a spiritual home on the turf where George Best had strutted his stuff so majestically two decades earlier. The missing piece in the long-awaited championship jigsaw, Cantona’s nine goals in 22 league games helped bring home the inaugural Premiership trophy of 1992/93.

With his probing presence, United would fail to win the trophy just once in the following four campaigns, Cantona leading scorer in two and second in the other. It wasn’t just his technical ability that fired the imagination, it was his talismanic qualities. He led by example, defiant, never giving in. It was a three-way relationship between player, team-mate and fans – if he thought it was possible, so did you.

When the FA threw the book at him with a nine-month ban in the 1994/95 season following his infamous Kung-Fu spat with a Crystal Palace fan at Selhurst Park, Cantona retained his dignity and did his 120 hours’ community service with no complaints. And of course, he scored on his return – against the old enemy Liverpool in October, netting a penalty to salvage a point at Old Trafford.

With Cantona orchestrating the talents of a young David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, and Roy Keane in his pomp as midfield general, United proved irresistible in 1995/96. Cantona led the way with 19 goals in all competitions, one of four men to reach double figures. He scored in six consecutive Premiership games through March and April as United faced down the faltering challenge of Newcastle United to take the title. And it was Cantona again, firing through a crowd scene at Wembley, to see off Liverpool in the FA Cup final to complete a second Double in three seasons. That season was the pinnacle of his time at Old Trafford.

At the end of the 1996/97, another title in the bag, but with the disappointment of a European semi-final exit proving a tough cross to bear, he exited stage left. His deeds burn brightly and will never fade. Vive la resistance!

Midfielder
177 app
(21 goals)

Duncan Edwards (1 October 1936 – 21 February 1958) was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid-1950s, playing 151 matches for the club. One of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster, he survived initially but succumbed to his injuries in hospital two weeks later.

Born in Woodside, Dudley, Worcestershire, Edwards signed for Manchester United as a teenager and went on to become the youngest player to play in the Football League First Division and the then youngest England player since the Second World War, going on to play 18 times for his country at top level. In a professional career of less than five years he helped United to win two Football League championships, two FA Charity Shields and reach the semi-finals of the European Cup.

Forward
219 app
(150 goals)

A prolific goal-getter, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s scoring exploits at Old Trafford have safeguarded his place in United folklore.
The Dutchman struck 100 goals in his first three seasons in Manchester. He overtook United legend Denis Law’s title as the club's all-time top scorer in European competition in his fourth term, and by the end of his fifth year at Old Trafford he’d reached 150 goals in fewer than 200 starts.

United initially had to be patient to get their man, however. Ruud marked his 22nd birthday by signing for PSV Eindhoven from Heerenveen for £4.2million, a then record fee between Dutch clubs.

His first league goal for PSV came against his former club in August 1998, and his international debut for Holland followed in November that year in a 1-1 draw with Germany. In two seasons Ruud notched 60 goals for PSV, alerting Europe’s top clubs, including United and Real Madrid.

Sir Alex was determined to sign van Nistelrooy. So much so, he kept in contact with the player for a year as he recovered from the cruciate knee ligament injury Ruud suffered whilst training with PSV. The setback came days after failing a medical with United in April 2000. After a remarkable recovery, he finally signed for the Reds on 23 April 2001 for £19m.

Ruud netted 36 goals in his debut season, a frightening achievement that was incredibly eclipsed in the 2002/03 season as he scored 44 times to inspire United to the Premiership title. Another 30 goals followed in his third season.

Injury ruined his 2004/05 campaign, although he still scored 16 goals in 27 appearances and finished top scorer in the Champions League with eight goals.

The 2005/06 campaign was also tempered with disappointment. Ten goals in 12 games saw Ruud get off to a flyer. By December he had 17 goals from 26 starts. But the return to form and fitness of Louis Saha saw van Nistelrooy edged out of the side.

He was an unused substitute in the Carling Cup final win and wasn’t included in the squad to face Charlton on the final day of the season, with Sir Alex citing issues around “the spirit of the club” as the reason for Ruud’s exclusion.

The Dutch striker left Old Trafford in the summer of 2006 and headed to Spain to join Real Madrid.

Midfielder
387 app
(26 goals)

Nicholas Butt (born 21 January 1975) is an English football coach and former player who is the head of coaching at the Manchester United youth academy. He is also a co-owner of Salford City.

He played professional football as a midfielder from 1992 to 2011. He began his career with Manchester United and spent 12 years in their first-team, winning six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, four FA Community Shields, the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup, before moving to Newcastle United in 2004. He spent one season on loan to Birmingham City in 2005–06. He finished his career abroad, playing for South China.

Butt earned 39 caps for England between 1997 and 2004. He was chosen for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004.

Defender
379 app
(10 goals)

Patrice Latyr Evra (born 15 May 1981) is a professional footballer who played most recently for English club West Ham United and who has represented the France national team. Originally an attacker, he primarily plays as a left back. Evra, whom Sir Alex Ferguson praised for his leadership, also describing him as one of the best left backs in Europe, has served as captain for both Manchester United and France.

The son of a diplomat, Evra was born in Senegal and arrived in Europe when he was a year old. He was raised in France and began his football career playing for various clubs in the Île-de-France region such as hometown club CO Les Ulis and CSF Brétigny. In 1997, he had a stint at professional club Paris Saint-Germain. A year later, Evra seized his first footballing opportunity in neighbouring Italy when he signed his first professional contract with Marsala in Sicily. He made his professional debut with the club and, in the ensuing season, joined Monza. After a year playing with Monza, Evra returned to France to play for Nice. Originally a midfielder, while playing at Nice, he was converted into a full-back. In 2002, Evra joined Monaco and contributed to the club that won the Coupe de la Ligue in 2003. He also featured in European competition for the first time in his career and, in the 2003–04 season, was the starting left back on the Monaco team that reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final. In that same season domestically, Evra was named the National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year. He was also named to the organisation's Ligue 1 Team of the Year.

Evra's performances with Monaco culminated into a move to English club Manchester United in January 2006. While playing for Manchester United, Evra won a slew of trophies, including the League Cup in his debut season at the club. In his second season, he eclipsed compatriot Mikaël Silvestre and Gabriel Heinze as first-choice left back and has since won five Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League title, one FIFA Club World Cup, three League Cups and four Community Shield titles. Evra has been named to the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Team of the Year on three occasions. For his performances during the 2008–09 season, he was named to both the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year. After joining Italian side Juventus in 2014, he immediately helped the club to a domestic double and the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, and won a second domestic double and the Supercoppa Italiana the following season, before moving to Marseille in January 2017.

Evra is also a France international. Prior to playing at senior level, he played at under-21 level. He made his senior international debut in August 2004 in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Evra has participated in five major international tournaments for France: the 2008, 2012 and 2016 editions of the UEFA European Championship, winning a runners-up medal at Euro 2016; and both the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. Ahead of the 2010 World Cup, Evra was named captain of the national team by manager Raymond Domenech and bore the armband for the first time in the team's friendly match against Costa Rica in May 2010. At the tournament, he appeared in two group stage matches, although France endured a disastrous campaign which saw the players go on strike after a first round elimination. The incident resulted in Evra, for his role as captain, being suspended from national team duty for five matches. However, he returned to the squad and enjoyed a successful 2014 World Cup in Brazil under Didier Deschamps as France reached the quarter-finals.

Forward
275 app
(121 goals)

Any Reds wishing Alex Ferguson had plumped for Nottingham Forest’s Stan Collymore when he went shopping for a new striker in the January 1995 sales were forced to eat their hats over Andy Cole.
An inauspicious start to his Old Trafford career was followed by the most purple of purple patches, in which the Nottingham-born striker banged in a goal every couple of games, a ratio not seen in M16 since the golden age of Denis Law. It was only a matter of time, of course. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Cole had blazed a trail at St James’ Park, scoring an astonishing 68 goals in just 74 matches, including 41 in the 1993/94 league season. Once he was off and running, benefiting from the prompting of Cantona, Giggs and Sharpe, he played like a dream, justifying every penny of his then-record £6.25 million transfer.

That first season saw Cole score an astonishing five times in the 9-0 rout of Ipswich Town at Old Trafford – a scoreline that remains an individual and team best in Premiership history.

Cole netted 11 league goals on the way to the 1995/96 title, snatched so memorably from the grasp of his old team-mates at Newcastle.

Further title success followed in 1996/97, a season disrupted by pneumonia and two broken legs. Though his days appeared numbered with the arrival of Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa for the 1998/99, the truth couldn’t have been more different.

Cole and Yorke were dynamite together, scoring 35 goals in the league between them as United stormed unstoppably to the Treble. Yorke’s craft and strength, Cole’s pace and predatory instincts unforgettably combining at Nottingham Forest in February 1999 in an 8-1 win, memorable also for a four-goal substitute cameo from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Though Cole found his United form hard to replicate in an England shirt, there is little doubt he is one of the club’s – and the modern game’s – great strikers. He was still scoring top-flight goals for Manchester City in 2005/06 after spells with Blackburn and Fulham.

Forward
191 app
(131 goals)

Tommy Taylor is regarded by those who saw him play as the greatest centre-forward ever to represent Manchester United and England.
He was the finest header of a ball in his era, his control and first-time passing immaculate, his scoring rate for club and country extraordinary. In fact, he was so good that the great Alfredo Di Stefano of Real Madrid dubbed him 'Magnifico'.

Taylor is often inaccurately labelled a Busby Babe. Although he was member of Matt Busby’s team of youngsters, he was not home-grown, but signed from Barnsley for £29,999 in March 1953 - a fee agreed so that Taylor would not be burdened with the label of a £30,000 player – a tea lady getting the extra pound.

The big Yorkshireman’s path to Old Trafford was an unusual one in modern terms. At the age of 14 he was working at the Warncliffe Colliery, a job he left to begin a professional football career with Barnsley FC.

At 18 he began two years’ national service and on 25 May 1950 duly became Gunner Taylor 22366853, being posted to Oswestry with the Royal Artillery.

In 1953 United were coming to the end of an era, with Matt Busby and Jimmy Murphy on the look out for a new centre-forward. Taylor fitted the bill and once signed he soon justified their faith. In 191 appearances for United he scored 131 goals, giving him a goal ratio - of two every three games - that remains unsurpassed.

Tragically, on 6 February 1958, along with seven of his team-mates, Tommy lost his life in the Munich air crash. The world at his feet, his future had been snuffed out at just 26, leaving many to reflect on how he good he could have become.

Forward
247 app
(101 goals)

Before Eric Cantona and Lee Martin, Jimmy Greenhoff and David Herd, there was Sandy Turnbull.
The United forward opened the scoring midway through the first half of the 1909 FA Cup final against Bristol City and it proved to be the only goal of the game, delivering the trophy to Old Trafford for the first time in the club’s history.

And so Turnbull became the first United player to score the winning goal in an FA Cup final, but his career was to become clouded in notoriety.

A classy inside forward, Turnbull left Scotland as an 18-year-old to sign for Manchester City in 1902. He was an instant success at City, helping secure the Second Division championship in his first season and following that with an FA Cup triumph the year after. But then disaster struck the Blues.

In 1905 City were found guilty of malpractice following an investigation into payments for players, and the entire squad was suspended.

City’s loss ultimately proved to be United’s gain, and when the ban was lifted on 31 December 1906 four of City’s key players - Turnbull, Herbert Burgess, Jimmy Bannister and the legendary Billy Meredith - moved across town to United and made their debuts the following day against Aston Villa.

Turnbull soon became as important to United as he was to City, and his goals shot Ernest Mangnall’s side to the 1908 and 1911 Football League championships, as well as that FA Cup in 1909. However, just before the First World War, Turnbull was one of several players implicated in a match-fixing scandal between United and Liverpool, and was banned from football for life.

Tragically, Turnbull was to be killed in battle, losing his life on 3 May 1917 in action in Arras, France while fighting for a company known as the ‘Footballers’ Battalion'.

Defender
280 app
(20 goals)

Roger William Byrne (8 February 1929 – 6 February 1958) was an English footballer and captain of Manchester United. He died at the age of 28 in the Munich air disaster. He was one of the eight Manchester United players who lost their lives in the disaster on 6 February 1958. He made 33 appearances for the England national team.

Forward
174 app
(100 goals)

Like Eric Cantona in 1992/93, Joe Cassidy in 1892/93 was a crucial mid-season signing. But while the French forward helped Ferguson's team to finally win the title, the Scottish striker made his mark at the opposite end of the table.

Joe joined Newton Heath in time for them to win their 1893 test match - or relegation play-off - against Small Heath. His emergency work done, he returned north of the border and played for Celtic until Newton Heath came calling again, two years after his initial two-month spell.

Cassidy stayed in Manchester much longer second time around, establishing himself as a powerful and prolific goalscorer in five years with Newton Heath from 1895 and then one season with City in 1900/01.

His first match on his return to England was remarkable - Walsall Town Swifts were thrashed 14-0, with 11 goals scored in the second half. Cassidy himself netted four but sadly the result did not stand. Walsall protested about the "fearfully heavy" Bank Street pitch and in a replay, salvaged some pride... 'only' conceding eight after the break and losing 9-0. Cassidy's two goals were counted and included in the century he clocked up for Newton Heath.

His ton made him United's all-time top scorer until Sandy Turnbull reached treble figures in 1914. It also made him a valuable asset, a point not lost on Newton Heath's cash-strapped directors when a bid came in from across town. Reluctantly, Cassidy was sold to Manchester City in April 1900 for £250.

City made a loss on Cassidy 12 months later when they sold him to Middlesbrough for £75 after a disappointing season.

He fared better at Boro, scoring 34 goals in 135 games, but clearly his best years were behind him - those he spent as a Newton Heath hero.

Forward
152 app
(66 goals)

Dwight Eversley Yorke (born 3 November 1971) is a Tobagonian former football player. Throughout his club career, he played for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney, and Sunderland, mainly as a forward, between 1988 and 2009. He was the assistant manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national team until the completion of the qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Yorke scored 123 goals in the Premier League, a record for a non-European which was not broken until Sergio Agüero in 2017.

At international level, Yorke represented Trinidad and Tobago on 74 occasions between 1989 and 2009, scoring 19 goals. He helped his nation reach the semi-finals of the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and also helped Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history, later representing his national side in the final tournament in 2006.