Manchester United, arguably the greatest team in the history of English soccer has won countless domestic and European titles.
The team has also been home to some of the greatest players to have played in England (and the world).
Today we will be counting down the 25 Best Manchester United Players of All Time. Glory Glory Man Utd!
25. David De Gea
| Games | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 529 | 575 | 183 |
The first man on our list is one of just two current squad members to make our list, goalkeeper David De Gea has proven himself a loyal servant of Manchester United that is always on hand to pull off a wonder save.
The Spaniard joined the club as a replacement for the retiring Edwin Van der Sar in 2011 and has been with the club since, making nearly 400 appearances for the club. De Gea was also the first player to win the team’s player of the year award for three straight seasons.
24. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 366 | 126 | 50 |
The hero of the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final is the next player on our list. The ‘Baby faced assassin’ is widely regarded as the greatest ‘super sub’ in the history of woccer, with the Norwegian always on hand to score an important goal when needed.
Solskjaer played for Manchester United between 1996-2007 and registered 126 goals in 366 games for the club. He also took charge of the club for three years but failed to deliver any major success to Old Trafford.
23. Denis Irwin
One of the finest left-backs that the game has ever seen takes 23rd spot on our list. Denis Irwin plied his trade at Old Trafford for 12 years and played nearly 400 matches for the red devils in this period.
Sir Alex Ferguson has been known for stating that Irwin was his best ‘pound for pound’ signing that he made during his illustrious managerial career. High praise that was well deserved by the Irish defender.
22. Steve Bruce
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It’s another defender in 22nd place, one that you may know better as the former manager of a number of different Premier League teams over the years.
During his playing career though, Steve Bruce was a rock-solid defender that starred in the teams first Premier League title winning campaign in 1993.
Bruce would later become the first Englishman to captain his side to a domestic double, however due to the competition at the time, Brice never played for the England national team.
21. Patrice Evra
The greatest left back to have ever played for Manchester United, Patrice Evra takes 21st spot. The Frenchman is well-known for his eccentric behaviour and funny punditry work, but during his prime he was easily the best full back in the Premier League.
Evra was a vital component of the 2008 UEFA Champions League winning side, as well as countless other Premier League title winning teams and Cup winners alike.
20. Andy Cole
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 275 | 121 | 45 |
As we reach the top 20, it is another of the 1999 treble winning squad that takes the 20th place on our list. Andy Cole played for Manchester United for 6 years and was the club’s primary goal scorer during this period.
Cole scored a total of 121 goals in 275 games for the club, including crucial strikes in the UEFA Champions League winning campaign. Cole would go on to become a journeyman after his time at Old Trafford though, with the goals drying up massively.
19. Bill Foulkes
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We have to go back to the 1950’s and the iconic ‘Busby Babes’ team for the next man on our list. Bill Foulkes is the club’s fourth highest appearance maker, with him making 688 appearances between the years 1951-1970 as a central defender.
Foulkes was one of the fortunate players that survived the tragic Munich Air Disaster in 1958 and would continue playing for the club long after this accident. Foulkes went on to have a successful managerial career following his retirement.
18. Nemanja Vidic
In 18th place is the rock-hard Serbian centre back Nemanja Vidic, one part of Manchester United’s greatest ever defensive partnership. Alongside Rio Ferdinand, Vidic was a near impenetrable wall for opposition strikers and was never afraid to put in a challenge.
Vidic joined the red devils in 2006 and stayed with the club until 2014, making 300 appearances along the way. He was another key member of the 2008 UEFA Champions League winning team.
17. Mark Hughes
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| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 672 | 189 | 24 |
17th place goes to the man known as ‘Sparky’ during his time at Old Trafford. Mark Hughes was a prolific goal scorer in the late 1980’s and 90’s. Hughes actually had two spells with the club after graduating from the youth academy in 1980.
It would be during his second stint that Hughes truly shone though, with him scoring 83 goals in 256 games for the club during this spell. After retirement, Hughes went into management and took charge of Wales, Manchester City, Stoke City, and many more.
16. Ruud Van Nistelrooy
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 219 | 150 | 25 |
Another deadly striker takes 16th spot. Ruud Van Nistelrooy played for Manchester United between 2001-2006 and scored an incredible 95 goals in 150 Premier League games for the club, a goal scoring record that anyone would be jealous of (stats in the table above shows all competitions).
Despite never being able to guide the club to ay European success, the Dutchman did help them to a series of domestic trophies including the 2002-03 Premier League title. Had he played for the club in a more successful period, van Nistelrooy would certainly be higher in this list.
15. Gary Neville
“Nobody grows up wanting to be Gary Neville”, a statement that sums up the efficient and ever-present nature of the man’s career. Neville was a part of the ‘Class of 92’ crop that took European Soccer by storm in the 1990’s and is the greatest right back to have played for Manchester United.
Neville was a crucial part of two UEFA Champions League winning teams and made 600 appearances for the club, in nearly 20 years with his boyhood team. Neville now works as a pundit for Sky Sports.
14. Edwin Van der Sar
| Games | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 266 | 202 | 135 |
Initially, the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar was brought in as cover for when the first-choice man picked up an injury, he soon became one of the greatest goalkeepers in history.
Van der Sar was a reliable goalkeeper that played for Manchester United for six years and made 186 appearances for the club.
The Dutchman will always be remembered for making the winning save in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final penalty shootout against Chelsea in the pouring Moscow rain.
13. Roy Keane
- Position: Defensive Midfielder
One of the best captains that Manchester United has ever had, fiery Irishman Roy Keane takes 13th place in our list. Keane was brought in to be the experienced hand in a young team during the mid-1990’s and would become the leader that the ‘Class of 92’ needed.
Keane was known for being a tough tackler and even tougher tempered midfielder that never took any messing from an opponent or teammate alike. Eventually this temper got the better of him though and a long feud with Sir Alex Ferguson began.
12. Rio Ferdinand
For me, the best defender that has ever played for the club, Rio Ferdinand came to Manchester United from Leeds as the most expensive defender in history and had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
This did not impact the Englishman, though, with him going on to be the other half of a legendary partnership with Nemanja Vidic.
Ferdinand spent 12 years at Old Trafford and made 455 appearances for the red devils before moving to QPR in 2014. He was another important member of the 2008 UEFA Champions League winning team.
11. Duncan Edwards
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- Position: Defensive Midfielder
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 151 | 20 | N/A |
A man that should be higher on this list, Duncan Edwards was one of those tragically killed in the Munich Air Disaster.
Prior to his death, Edwards was tipped to be the greatest English player the game had ever seen and was well on his way to proving it under the guidance of Sir Matt Busby.
Edwards was excellent on the ball and could make his way past even the best of defenders. In only five years with the club, he made 151 appearances.
10. Bryan Robson
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- Position: Central Midfielder
As we reach the top 10 in our list, the man nicknamed ‘Captain Marvel’ takes 10th spot. Bryan Robson was the key bridge between the pre and post Sir Alex Ferguson era’s with him being brought to the club by previous manager Ron Atkinson.
Robson became the core of the Manchester United team under Atkinson and would go onto to do the same job under Ferguson, he was an excellent passer and could always pop up with a goal when needed.
9. Peter Schmeichel
| Games | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| 386 | 319 | 174 |
Simply the best goalkeeper that Manchester United and for that matter English Soccer has ever witnessed is the 9th best on our list.
Schmeichel played for the club between 1991-1999 and was yet another vital cog in the teams treble winning machine from 1999.
The Danish goalkeeper was renowned for his imposing physique and stood both tall and wide in the red devils’ goal during the greatest period of success the club has ever seen. Despite later playing for Manchester City, he is well loved.
8. Paul Scholes
- Position: Central Midfielder
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 714 | 153 | 75 |
One of the foremost members of the ‘Class of 92’, Paul Scholes was a loyal servant of the club that rarely missed a game and remained at Old Trafford for his entire career (even coming out of retirement in 2011).
Scholes was a cool head in the center of the midfield and could always deliver a pass or wonder goal when required. The Englishman made over 700 appearances during his two spells at Old Trafford and scored 153 times.
7. Denis Law
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One member of the famous ‘Holy Trinity’ statue found outside Old Trafford, Denis Law is one of the few players to play for both Manchester based clubs.
For United, he made 307 appearances and scored 184 goals during an 11 year stay with the red devils.
Law remains the only Scottish player to have ever won the FIFA Ballon d’Or award, which he did in 1964.
6. Cristiano Ronaldo
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 346 | 145 | 64 |
You may have expected to see this man higher up in our list, but it is only 6th place for the great Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese legend has had two spells at Old Trafford and was the most important player in the mid-2000’s era under Sir Alex Ferguson, which culminated in the UEFA Champions League title in 2008.
Ronaldo re-joined the club in 2024 and has not enjoyed the same level of success, with his powers beginning to fade it may soon be farewell for good to the famous number 7.
5. Eric Cantona
From one famous number 7 to another, the eccentric French hero Eric Cantona is one of the best-loved players in the history of Manchester United.
Cantona’s legend is as much about the man off the pitch as it is on it, for the club he scored a series of vital goals in the 1990’s and always provided a smile to fans faces around the globe.
His famous upturned collar and acrobatic finishes are the stuff of legend and even though he went through some controversy during his time at Old Trafford, he is firmly a club legend.
4. Ryan Giggs
- Position: Left Midfielder
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 949 | 164 | 251 |
The finest player out of the ‘Class of 92’ Ryan Giggs is the clubs all-time record appearance maker, with 949. He also scored 164 goals and was a key member of almost all of the success that was achieved under Sir Alex Ferguson.
In recent years though, Giggs’ legend has been tarnished somewhat. The Welshman is currently undergoing a trial for alleged coercive behavior against his former girlfriend.
3. Sir Bobby Charlton
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- Position: Attacking Midfielder
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 949 | 164 | 251 |
The only player on this list to receive a knighthood for his services to the game, Sir Bobby Charlton was a key member of the 1968 European Cup winning team as well as England’s 1966 World Cup triumph.
For the red devils, Charlton was the club’s record goal scorer for a long time. The Englishman scored a total of 164 goals in 949 appearances for the team, a record that stood for decades.
Charlton can still be seen in the stands at Old Trafford most matchdays.
2. Wayne Rooney
| Games | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 559 | 253 | 145 |
Possibly the greatest English soccer player of all time, Wayne Rooney, just misses off on the top spot. Rooney is Manchester United’s all-time record goal scorer, with 253 to his name in 559 appearances.
The former England captain is also renowned for his range of goals, including a sublime overhead kick against Manchester City in 2011.
Rooney is now enjoying a successful managerial career and is currently in charge at MLS Team DC United.
1. George Best
The greatest Manchester United player of all time had to be the incredible George Best. The silky Irish winger was the best player in the world during his prime years and is often considered the ‘Elvis Presley’ of soccer.
Best donned the iconic number 7 jersey for the club and made 353 appearances, scoring 137 times. Best would also win the European Player of the Year award in 1968 and was also in the top 10 of the FIFA Team of the Century.
The Irishman was known for his playboy lifestyle and sadly died at the age of 59, but he certainly enjoyed his life and is deservedly top of our list.
Do you think we got this one right, or have we forgotten about your favorite Manchester United hero?
