Manchester United has been the English record champion for a few days. Now the traditional English club is aiming for a big hit in the Champions League: With a win in the final against FC Barcelona, United could win the premier Class for the fourth time. The club has been home to and produced many outstanding players throughout its history. To shorten your waiting time until the final, we have put together the best 22 (this list is not extensive):
22 Best Players of Manchester United
Duncan Edwards
A list will NOT be complete if Duncan Edwards is not on it. Those who played against or with him consider him one of the best.
Edwards was a powerhouse talented enough to play almost any position, a real Busby’s Babes gem.
Unfortunately, he died early, aged 21, in a tragic plane crash in Munich.
Sir Bobby Charlton
This player is one of the best of all time. He has won everything in his career, including a Ballon d’Or. He was a legend both at United – where he won titles such as the European Cup (current Champions League) – and in England, leading the team to the trophy of the 1966 World Cup.
Only Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane have scored more goals than him in the national team, while only Ryan Giggs has entered the field more often in a United shirt.
Nobby Stiles
Nobby is another United legend. He was the protagonist of the 1966 World Cup triumph.
Despite being short, Stiles was tough in the fall. And the marking he made against Portuguese star Eusébio, both in the World Cup and in the 1968 European Cup final, was a lesson to be followed.
Sammy McIlroy
McIlroy deserved to be part of a much more successful United team, but he gained legendary status among the club’s supporters as one of the stars of the 1970s.
Scoring on his debut against Manchester City certainly helped, while he was also part of Tommy Docherty’s Division Two winning side in ’75.
Busby’s last managerial appointment, McIlroy won his only major trophy for United in 1977, when they won the FA Cup.
Norman Whiteside
From very early on, Whiteside filled fans with expectations. That’s because he was the youngest player to play in a World Cup, aged 17 and 41 when he entered the 1982 final. He was also the youngest to score a goal in a League Cup final in 83. Furthermore, he was also the first player to score in both domestic finals in the same season.
However, injuries and lack of discipline from one of the most talented players of a generation ended up derailing his career.
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Mark Robins
Mark Robins will forever remain the man who saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s job. After all, who knows what would have happened to United if he hadn’t scored in the 1990 FA Cup semi-final?
Although the club had always maintained that Ferguson’s job was not on the line when their struggling side traveled to face Nottingham Forest in search of a draw, it’s hard to imagine he would have survived the season had it not been for the goal by Robins, who later scored more on the way to Wembley.
Robins never established himself as a great player, but few were as integral to Ferguson’s success at United.
David Beckham
Beckham is a global icon who has transcended football with his achievements on and off the pitch. His good looks and his Spice Girl wife, Victoria, let him gracefully grace the front pages beyond the sports section – but they also somewhat overshadowed his game.
Still, Beckham played for United and Real Madrid, two of the biggest clubs in the world. From his midfield goal against Wimbledon in 1996 to his dramatic free-kick against Greece to earn England’s place at the 2002 World Cup, he has always been a man for the big occasions.
In addition, he was one of the worst in the MLS, and today he owns his own franchise in the American League with Inter Miami.
Paul Scholes
Nicknamed ‘Satnav’ because of his ability to find someone with a pass, Scholes was one of the most underrated members of the Class of ’92 – but not by those who played with or against him.
His list of admirers includes Pep Guardiola – who described him as the “best midfielder of his generation” – Zinedine Zidane – who called him “untouchable” – and the great Xavi of Barcelona – who called him the “most complete ” midfielder.
Scholes dictated football with his passing, but he also had an eye for spectacular goals. Throughout his career, he won several trophies, including 11 Premier League titles and one Champions League in a career full of trophies.
Gary Neville
Neville was a reference on the right side of United for a long time – more precisely, 602 games, with 17 major titles for the only club in which he played in his career.
Fast, courageous, and a born leader, Neville was often used as a role model to inspire players who came after his 1992 team.
Wes Brown
The amount of promising new talent that emerged after the Class of ’92 dwindled dramatically, but Wes Brown was one that gave a lot of anticipation that he would achieve great things. It was also hoped that he would form a lasting partnership with Rio Ferdinand – but Nemanja Vidic arrived to change the conversation.
Although he never realized his potential as a center-back, he was an important part of the 2008 Champions League-winning side, playing right back. And, even without reaching the expected peak, he won 11 major titles for United.
Darren Fletcher
Another underrated youngster who lacked the glitz and glamor of the more famous revelations but still played an important role in Ferguson’s final tenure at United was Darren Fletcher, winner of five Premier League titles with the team.
He was the closest United came to replacing Roy Keane’s box-area talent, and his absence from the 2009 Champions League final, according to Ferguson, was one of the reasons for the Red Devils’ defeat.
Gerard Pique
Not all revelations write a United success story. And that is the case, for example, of Gerard Piqué, who, despite not having stayed with the Red Devils, has undeniable greatness.
A Barcelona and Spanish legend, he is one of the most decorated footballers of all time, winning 26 major trophies, including three Champions Leagues, the World Cup, and the European Championship.
United managed to pull him out of La Masia, Barcelona’s famous academy but saw him return to his parent club in 2008 when questions were raised as to whether his style fit in the Premier League.
Read also: Hall of Fame: Top 5 Goalscorers in Football History
Paul Pogba
United fans had to wait to get a good look at Pogba – but he was another to drop out of the Red Devils’ academy after being bought from Le Havre as a youth.
Pogba has already started to attract attention from the grassroots level, but he infuriated Ferguson by deciding to join Juventus for free when he failed to renew with the Red Devils. The return came only years later, in 2016, already as a consecrated player and involving very high figures of 89 million pounds.
However, United did not have the best of Pogba, who, even though he won the World Cup as a player for the Red Devils, did not present his best football before again leaving the English for Juventus.
Ravel Morrison
Morrison will always be one of the great wasted talents. A world-class talent, destined early on to be a major US star, he had disciplinary problems that led Ferguson to “quit” on him, which resulted in him joining West Ham in 2012.
Since then, the most that have been seen are glimpses of the expected great talent, but never as often as they imagined.
Now he’s joined Waye Rooney at DC United, and, at 29, he could be getting an opportunity for redemption.
Marcus Rashford
Rashford has already introduced himself to the United fans in the best possible way: he scored four goals in his first two games, which only came because Louis Van Gaal had an injury crisis in his attack.
And since then, Rashford has only established himself further in the team. However, in recent years he has been dealing with some injuries and changes at the club that has hindered his performance.
However, he is still only 24 years old and has plenty of time to live up to expectations.
Denis Irvin
Sir Alex Ferguson has made many transfers in his career, but with hindsight, he describes the signing of the unassuming Denis Irwin as the best of all. He steered the Irishman from Oldham Athletic to Manchester in 1990 for £625.00 (almost one million euros). Inconspicuous but always satisfactory, Irwin performed his duties as left-back. He was not a friend of big words, always polite and modest; he was a quiet salesman. Nothing could faze Irwin, he was a proficient penalty taker, and his last-minute winner against Southampton in 1995 kept the title race open to the end.
Denis Irwin is eighth in United’s all-time rankings. His farewell game against Manchester City was so intense that he had to be substituted off through injury after a foul by George Weah just over half an hour later. Today he works as a reporter for Manchester’s own broadcaster MUTV, as well as being a columnist and TV expert.
Roy Keane
Roy Keane was the kind of captain Sir Alex Ferguson could not have imagined better. Ferguson was also a hothead and tireless fighter when he was playing. He recognized these qualities in the Irish roughneck Roy Keane and brought him to Manchester for the then-record sum of 3.75 million pounds (around five million euros). The man with number 16 inherited veteran Bryan Robson and won the double with United. Youngsters like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes moved up, allowing Keane, an experienced player, to take the lead.
After the surprise departure of Eric Cantona, making Keane his new captain was a logical decision for Ferguson. Despite his antics off the field and numerous dismissals, he was always the undisputed boss. He did the dirty work with full commitment and was there when he was needed. For example, in the 1999 Champions League semi-final against Juventus Turin: After a 1-1 draw at home, the English were already 0-2 behind in the “Delle Alpi” after just a few minutes. Keane rolled up his sleeves and headed in the goal. “A captain’s goal,” the hit on the island was then called. Manchester won the game 3-2. In 2005 he moved to Celtic Glasgow for a year before retiring. At his farewell match between the two clubs, there were 69.
George Best
Observing young George Best in Belfast, United scout Bob Bishop cabled head coach Matt Busby: “I think I’ve just spotted a genius here.” Best moved to Manchester. There, he became not only the best winger of his time but also one of the first stars in football. The lively right-wing combined speed, trickery, and two-footedness. Off the field, he made headlines with his extravagant lifestyle, and his alcohol problems also affected the late phase of his career. Genius and madness are very close together.
He played for United for 11 years, scoring 179 goals in 470 games. He then ended his career in the USA, Scotland, and even Hong Kong, among other places. The IFHHS named him the 11th best player of all time in 1999, and the saying still applies in Manchester and his native Ireland: “Maradona good, Pele better, George Best.”
Ryan Giggs
The career of the “Welsh Wizard” is nothing short of superlative: Sir Alex Ferguson brought Ryan Giggs from local rivals City to the “Red Devils” at the age of 14. He has now been at the club for 24 years, has set the record for over 800 professional games, and was voted the best United player of all time by the fans. Giggs has won a total of 33 titles and nearly every individual award the island has to offer.
Giggs started his career as a classic left winger. Thanks to his enormous speed and gifted technique, he quickly became a nightmare for his opponents. Luis Figo once described him as ‘the most talented player in the world,’ and Zinedine Zidane surmised that had Giggs been French, he would have been on the bench for the national team. The 37-year-old is considered a model professional who, thanks to his reclusive way of life, can still deliver great performances even in old age. Coach Ferguson now uses him mostly at headquarters, where Giggs continues to be a key player for Manchester thanks to his game vision and passing accuracy.
Eric Cantona
“1966 was a big year for English football: Eric was born.” Manchester United fans still pay homage to Eric Cantona with sayings like this. The “Enfant Terrible” was a brilliant striker. One who was always able to decide a game with an ingenious move. He had superb technique, was callous, and was a born leader. The Frenchman, who wore the legendary number ‘7’ on his jersey, joined United in 1992 from Leeds United as Sir Alex Ferguson’s absolute dream player. Right away, he led the traditional club to its first championship since 1967.
The fans also forgive “King Eric” for his kung fu kick against a Crystal Palace fan, which is why he was banned for half a year. Cantona later said, “I’ve had a lot of good moments in my career. But the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.” At the age of 31, he surprisingly ended his career in 1997. Since then, he has worked, among other things, as an advertising figure for a sporting goods manufacturer and national coach of the French national beach soccer team. A few months ago, he was hired as a consultant by the American club New York Cosmos.
Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes spent the most successful time of his career at ManUnited. He started his career there, and after two brief stints at FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, he returned in 1988 for what was then a record fee of £1.8m (about €3m). “Sparky” was promptly voted England’s Player of the Year by his peers. He guided United to victory in the FA Cup (the success that kept Sir Alex Ferguson in charge), and in 1992, he scored both goals in the 1992 European Cup Winners’ Cup final against his former club Barcelona.
Eric Cantona moved to Manchester, and together with Hughes, he formed the best striker duo on the island. In 1995, Ferguson decided to sell Hughes to Chelsea for a lot of money and sign the up-and-coming Andy Cole. Hughes played for Southampton, Everton, and Blackburn Rovers before hanging up his boots in 2002. He now works as a coach at Fulham FC.
Denis Law
Anyone who visits “Old Trafford” cannot ignore Denis Law. The club, along with Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, erected a statue of their former goalscorer in front of the stadium. Law, who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, is still the second top scorer in United’s history. He scored an impressive 237 goals in 404 games. He started his career at Huddersfield Town before joining United via Man City and Torino. There he spent his most successful time and was named Europe’s footballer of the year in 1964.
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