One of the biggest clubs in the world, Manchester United also has one of the most colorful histories in sports. They have won the FA Cup 12 times, the Champions League three times, the Europa League once, and both the FIFA Club World Cup and the Premier League 20 times.

Many of the best football players in the world have played for the club over the years, establishing their names at storied Old Trafford.

So let’s review the top XI Manchester United players throughout time.

GK Schmeichel, PeterPeter Schmeichel, one of the greatest goalkeepers in football history, was a colossal presence at the back for Manchester United. He was the epitome of a leader, barking orders at his defenders, making the back line answerable, and doing his duty by risking everything for his team.

Schmeichel may have stood 6 feet 4 inches tall, but he was one of the most agile goalkeepers, probably as a result of his history in handball, which puts a greater strain on a keeper’s reflexes. The legendary goalie from Denmark had virtually no flaws in his approach and excelled at every duty a goalkeeper must carry out. That includes scoring goals, as he did so 11 times throughout his career.

Schmeichel, a man of integrity and a dependable presence in goal, was a member of the legendary United team that won the 1998–99 Champions League and won the Premier League five times.

Denis Irwin, LBDenis Irwin, an international for Ireland, must unquestionably be included among the best left backs in football history. He undoubtedly has a unique place in Manchester United’s past.

Irwin played for United for 12 seasons and dominated left defense in the 1990s. He ushered in a time when players could excel at two positions by being a solid player at right back as well. Irwin was a mainstay in seven different Premier League-winning teams thanks to his skill and all-around ability.

CB R.O.I.T. F.Although Manchester United has had several great center backs over the years, one might argue that Rio Ferdinand was the most talented of them all.

In the middle of the defense, Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidi forged a legendary relationship that was crucial to United’s victory over Chelsea in the 2007–08 Champions League.

Ferdinand, a six-time Premier League champion, was among the best center backs of the 2000s. He was one of the game’s smartest defenders and was able to cover and mark the best forwards. He was difficult to play against since he rarely mishandled the ball.

Ferdinand, one of the best ball-playing center backs the world has ever seen, was the ideal companion for the aggressive Vidi, making it to six Premier League Team of the Seasons.

CB Moore KeaneRoy Keane was the epitome of a captain and a leader, a warrior in the defensive midfield and central defense. One of the most feared and revered players of his era, and possibly all time, was Keane. With Keane, taking the incorrect turn was equivalent to receiving a death sentence since Keane could put up a fight without getting into trouble.

Keane, who will be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021, won the FA Cup four times and the Premier League seven times. He was well-known for his fierce temper and tenacious defense, but it shouldn’t overshadow his exceptional ball skills. Keane read the game better than any defensive player of his era and was a great passer.

He was more of a center back than a midfielder, but because he excelled at that position and because United has had so many outstanding midfielders during the course of their history, he gets to take Vidi’s place over another outstanding player.

Gary Neville, RBIt’s simple for some people, especially younger fans, to forget or even not recognize how outstanding a right back Gary Neville was throughout the 2000s now that he’s a commentator. Neville won the Champions League twice throughout his career as a one-club player for Manchester United, an uncommon accomplishment.

 

With his ability to overlap and deliver dangerous crosses, he was a superb partner for any right winger. He was tenacious and diligent. In his career, Neville won the Premier League championship eight times by doing everything in his power to help United win games.

Although he continued to play through 2011, his best years were in the mid-1990s, when he was three times selected for the Team of the Season.

Paul Scholes, CMPaul Scholes was frequently mentioned as the best player at the position until Kevin De Bruyne became widely hailed as the greatest midfielder in Premier League history.

For Manchester United, Scholes could perform all of his tasks in the middle of the field. As another renowned one-club man with a career spanning three decades, he scored over 100 goals and made close to 500 appearances with the Red Devils. Scholes is one of the most successful players in football history, having won the Premier League 11 times and the Champions League 11 times.

Scholes has scored more long-range goals than any player in history, but he accomplished so much more than just spectacular individual performances. Consistency was the cornerstone of Scholes’ game, whether he was on the ball with his sublime passing or off the ball with his logical defence.

Scholes offered the defensive tenacity, leadership, and skill that are often characteristics of outstanding Manchester United players. He was a versatile midfielder who could play any position or function and adjust his style to the players around him.

David Beckham, CMAlthough David Beckham played more as a right midfielder than a center midfielder, he demonstrated, like so many other players on this list, that he could excel in a variety of roles and at different positions.

No club is more closely connected with football’s biggest mainstream celebrity than this one, despite the fact that Beckham’s tenure with Manchester United ended poorly as a result of a disagreement with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Even though Beckham had a reputation in Hollywood, he was one of the gritty and dedicated players when it came to tracking back and defending. This, together with his vision and passing prowess, allowed him to play in the midfield rather than merely the flanks.

Bobby Charlton, CMThe list of the top English footballers of all time includes Sir Bobby Charlton, one of the greatest players in the history of the game, along with a few more Manchester United players.

In more than 600 appearances for United, Charlton scored close to 200 goals, leading to a career full of achievements, memorable moments, and qualities that can compete with anyone. The capacity to perform at the greatest level possible for decades is the mark of a top, top legend, and Charlton unquestionably did that.

Charlton won the award in 1966, the same year he won the Golden Ball at the World Cup, and finished second or higher on the Ballon d’Or podium for three consecutive seasons. With just words, it’s challenging to do Charlton’s career justice.

Ryan Giggs, LWRyan Giggs holds the record for most games played in Manchester United history. Because Giggs had three Premier League seasons with at least five assists, including eight at age 37, even when he was 35 years old, it’s probable that no other footballer in history has achieved the same degree of longevity across their career.

To do that as a winger from the 1990s to the 2010s is absolutely unbelievable. One of the hardest-working wingers of his era, Giggs was able to maintain peak performance year after year with little wear and tear. He simply showed up to play ball with the best of them, never offered any justifications or concessions.

Giggs won the Premier League an incredible 13 times, which means that he was a part of the team for 65 percent of United’s league championships. The renowned wide midfielder also won the Champions League twice and the FA Cup four times.

From his first professional seasons in 1992/93 until the late 2000s, Giggs, one of the best ball-crossers in history, made the Team of the Season six times. He changed from being a wide playmaker to a center midfielder and deeper playmaker later in his career, although he was still quite efficient offensively.

ST Rooney, WayneWayne Rooney is legitimately one of the best English players we have ever seen, in addition to being an all-time Manchester United great, and he deserves so much more recognition in the context of world football history. Heck, Rooney is among the all-time great strikers.

Few athletes can match Rooney’s technical and physical prowess. His bicycle kick goal against Manchester City is among the finest goals ever scored.

After joining the team as a teenager from Everton in 2004/05, Rooney was an instant success for the Red Devils. In his first season, he managed 11 goals; in his second, he increased that to 16, while adding 9 assists. He improved with each passing season, and United followed suit, rising from third to second before winning the league for three straight years.

Rooney was one of the best all-around strikers of his day in addition to being a fantastic goal scorer with a wide range of scoring opportunities. He had the ability to collaborate with any number of players and travel widely to create and drop deep to initiate counters. Rooney’s career saw five occasions where he has more than ten assists.

Cristiano Ronaldo, RW.Without Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the contenders for the title of greatest footballer ever, no list of the greatest players in Manchester United history would be complete.

Although Cristiano began his professional career in his native Portugal with the esteemed Sporting CP, it wasn’t until he joined United that he rose to the status of one of the biggest talents in the world.

The hardworking, extremely talented, and unbelievably athletic Ronaldo rapidly won over Sir Alex Ferguson and his players. Cristiano had the work ethic and mentality to take those unfinished tools and make the most of them, so it was as if someone had made the ideal football player in a laboratory.

Ronaldo played either wing or as a playmaker for Manchester United, but he was typically the one to initiate assaults and shoulder the creative load on the right flank, much like David Beckham did a decade earlier.

But this Hollywood icon preferred to dribble, create opportunities out of thin air, challenge defenders, and take some of the most heinous fouls the Premier League has ever seen. Cristiano was a superstar who brought a flare to the league that had never been seen before while fusing it with efficient, clever offensive play.

He was a nightmare and far different from the latter, brutal forms of Cristiano that we saw at Real Madrid and Juventus later in his career. Young Cristiano was an artist, but he also made a case for being the finest football player in the world in a different way.