Manchester United’s long history includes dozens of fantastic players; admittedly, we don’t know much about those who played before the Second World War. You won’t find them on this list.
But since the club’s greatest successes came after the wartime fury, particularly in the last few decades under manager Alex Ferguson, we will attempt to find the ten greatest footballers to have played at Old Trafford from 1950 to the present day. We think the following ranking can be described without much reservation as a selection of the best of the best who have donned the red jersey of Manchester United.
You will find all ten footballers in the following chapters. Please let us know about the selections in the comments section if you have any reservations about them.
Cristiano Ronaldo
In the person of Cristiano Ronaldo, Coach Alex Ferguson has made one of the best signings of his career. Ronaldo was just eighteen years old in 2003, and Ferguson sent just over £12 million to Sporting Lisbon for him.
He had spent six seasons at the club, played nearly three hundred games and set up 108 goals for their opponents. He went on to win three league titles and the Champions League. He collected 33 individual awards during his time at United. Last year, he returned to Old Trafford as a seasoned and experienced veteran in the twilight of his career.
Peter Schmeichel
In eight seasons at Manchester United, Denmark international Peter Schmeichel helped the club win the league title five times, FA Cup three times, Champions League and Super Cup finals. Four times he has won the European and twice the World Goalkeeper of the Year award. And he was brought to Old Trafford by Alex Ferguson from Brondby Copenhagen for just £550,000…
Roy Keane
Ireland’s gem Roy Keane had his best years at Manchester United, where he played twelve seasons. During those seasons, he won the league title seven times, won the FA Cup four times, and lifted the Champions League winners’ trophy above his head.
He was sometimes talked about as an erratic player. Still, he managed to pull other players to incredible performances with his unfailing fight even when the team was not doing well. He knew how to sacrifice himself to the utmost for the team and was its heart and soul.
David Beckham
From the turn of the millennium, the icon of English football played eight complete seasons at Old Trafford and won the English Premier League title six times with the team. David Beckham once drank from the Champions League trophy.
His club stats include 394 games and 85 goals. Many of these came from direct kicks, which he could take like few others.
Eric Cantona
Coach Alex Ferguson had a tough time at Old Trafford in the autumn of 1992. Following a disastrous start to the season, there was already loud talk of sacking him, but then a miracle came. Eric Cantona was his name, and the Red Devils acquired him for £1.2 million from rivals Leeds.
A French forward who was renowned for his undoubted talent and footballing genius and his arrogant excesses seemed to bring to the team exactly what it lacked – aggressive play and goals. Cantona played five seasons for United, during which time he helped win four league titles, won two FA Cups and scored over 150 goals.
Wayne Rooney
Forward Wayne Rooney managed to play thirteen seasons at Old Trafford and is undoubtedly one of the greatest legends in Manchester United’s history. He was brought to the club by Alex Ferguson in 2004 as a 19-year-old youngster from Everton. Some experts shook their heads at the price the Scottish coach was willing to pay.
Rooney came in at £25 million, astronomical money for the time and his age. Today, the investment has paid off, as Rooney managed to grow into the best striker in the club’s long history.
Paul Scholes
A legendary man from Alex Ferguson’s golden team. What Paul Scholes achieved at Old Trafford during his playing career can be replicated by a few.
He never played at any club other than Manchester United. Before calling it a day after the 2012/13 season, he had managed to play 718 games and score 155 goals. He has 11 English titles to his name, with three FA Cup victories and two Champions League finals wins.
Bobby Charlton
For 17 long seasons, Sir Bobby Charlton spent at Old Trafford, and in that time, he became a club legend. The striker with the flowing hair helped win three league titles and captained the English national team to their only championship title to date at the 1966 domestic World Cup.
George Best
The famous Latin saying “nomen omen” applied to the Northern Irish footballer who spent eleven seasons at Manchester United. Best was simply the BEST. He was a footballing genius on the pitch, but he was sometimes a wild and unbridled BEST privately.
For Manchester United, he played 474 games in eleven seasons and scored 181 goals. Many of them became legendary and unforgettable. He appeared in a red club jersey in 758 matches in which he scored 249 goals.
Ryan Giggs
The Welsh midfielder Ryan Giggs is arguably the greatest legend of Manchester United. He first played at Old Trafford in the 1990/91 season and played continuously in the red jersey until the 2013/14 season. Then he was an assistant to coach Louis van Gaal, but he left the club after the arrival of Jose Mourinho.
Nobody has played as many games in a Red Devils jersey as Giggs. In total, he played in 963 matches, scoring 168 goals. He has 13 championship titles from England’s top competition, which holds a historical record, having won the Champions League twice.
