MY ACCOUNT
No side has won more Premier League titles than Manchester United — and plenty of iconic stars have graced Old Trafford over the last three decades.
From the competition’s first champions in 1992-93 to the famous treble winners of 1998-99, Red Devils supporters have witnessed some of the best teams in English top-flight history.
But who are the club’s greatest players of the modern era?
LiveScore turn the spotlight on five legendary figures at the Theatre of Dreams.
Eric Cantona
Arguably no player has changed the course of Manchester United history more than Eric Cantona, following his arrival from Leeds in 1992.
The mercurial Frenchman had just won the First Division with Howard Wilkinson’s Whites and brought that winning mentality to Old Trafford — helping United win their first league title under Alex Ferguson the following year.
Three more Premier League triumphs and two FA Cup victories followed as Cantona’s star quality transformed the Red Devils into an unstoppable winning machine.
A controversial figure at times — not least for his infamous ‘kung-fu’ kick on a Crystal Palace supporter in 1995 — there is no denying the Marseille native’s transformative impact in M16.
A forward with flair, vision and an eye for the spectacular, Cantona amassed 156 top-flight appearances and 70 goals for United before his surprise retirement in 1997.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Now in his second spell at Old Trafford, there is little doubt that Cristano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time.
The Portuguese superstar became the most expensive teenager in British football history when he arrived from Sporting for just over £12million in 2003 — and it proved to be money well spent.
Ronaldo evolved into a terrifyingly lethal marksman, enjoying a spectacular 2007-08 campaign that saw him net 42 goals in just 49 matches across all competitions.
United won the league and Champions League double that year — two of eight major honours during the iconic No7’s time at the club — as he set both competitions alight with a series of scintillating performances.
The man from Madeira eventually left for Real Madrid after 292 games and 118 goals, before returning to the club last summer.
Wayne Rooney
The numbers behind Wayne Rooney’s time at Old Trafford are simply breathtaking.
A 13-year career with the Red Devils yielded 253 goals in 559 matches, breaking Bobby Charlton’s all-time Manchester United scoring record in 2017.
Rooney was a ruthless finisher with strength and determination in abundance — though he also contributed an impressive 103 assists in a red shirt.
With 12 major honours to his name and the second-most goals in Premier League history, the powerful forward proved to be worth every penny of the £27m Ferguson paid Everton for his services in 2004.
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes’ pinpoint passing ability is the stuff of legend — and he won plenty of high-profile admirers during 20 incredible seasons at the Theatre of Dreams.
France and Real Madrid great Zinedine Zidane is just one of the United academy graduate’s many fans.
He said: “He’s almost untouchable in what he does. I never tire of watching him play. You rarely come across the complete footballer, but Scholes is as close to it as you can get.
“One of my regrets is that the opportunity to play alongside him never presented itself during my career.”
Those thoughts are echoed by Italian supremo Andrea Pirlo.
He said: “The truly great English midfield player of the generation. [He] didn’t just play the game, he thought about the game.
“You could see every pass, every decision, was based on his intelligence and understanding.”
A one-club man, Scholes made United’s midfield tick across more than 700 appearances — winning 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, two Champions Leagues and a Club World Cup in the process.
Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs’ remarkable longevity is simply mind boggling.
The Welsh wing wizard made his debut for the Red Devils in 1991 and was still featuring regularly for United in 2013-14.
It is therefore unsurprising that no player in the club’s history has made more appearances than his 963, while his 13 top-flight titles and 23 major honours are unlikely to be surpassed any time soon.
But it would be remiss to simply focus on Giggs’ length of service — after all, he was a supremely talented left-winger with mesmeric dribbling skills and pace to burn.
No player is more synonymous with Ferguson’s trophy-laden era at United than their legendary No11.
