Greatest Man United players of all time: Where do Sir Bobby Charlton, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo rank?

On this day in 1880, Manchester United played their first recorded match, with the team, initially named Newton Heath LYR Football Club, suffering a 6-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers’ reserve team.

Some of the greatest players in history have since turned out for Man United, who are considered by many to be the biggest football club in English football.

With that in mind, Sports Mole has taken on the incredibly difficult task of naming the top 10 greatest Man United players of all time, and some legends of the club had to miss out.

Notable mentions in this particular list go to the likes of Duncan Edwards, Peter Schmeichel, Roger Byrne and David Beckham, but there are also many others who deserve acknowledgement, having had incredible careers at the club.

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Cristiano Ronaldo will forever be remembered as one of the best players to have ever lived, and there simply had to be a spot for him in the top 10 considering what he achieved at the club.

The Portuguese represented Man United on 346 occasions over two spells, scoring 145 goals and registering 64 assists in the process, and he developed into the best player in the world during his first spell at the club between 2003 and 2009.

Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, two League Cups and the Champions League after arriving from Sporting Lisbon, and he was an inspirational figure for the Red Devils.

The forward, who is currently with Al-Nassr, returned to Man United in the summer of 2021, and he scored 27 goals in 54 appearances during his second spell, but his departure came on a free transfer in late 2022 due to be breakdown of his relationship with the club.

The second spell did not go as planned, but Ronaldo was a true superstar during his initial spell at Old Trafford, and there could not have been a top 10 list without him.

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Bryan Robson, named “Captain Marvel” by the club’s supporters, made the move to Man United from West Bromwich Albion in 1981, and he represented the English giants until 1994, when he made the switch to Middlesbrough.

Robson scored 99 goals in 461 appearances for the Red Devils, winning two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two Charity Shields and the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

An inspirational leader, Robson remains Man United’s longest-serving captain, with his leadership skills on full display during his time at Old Trafford, with his teammates often looking to him in moments of difficulty.

Robson is adored by the club’s fans due the loyalty that he showed during a difficult period in the club’s history, and he combined leadership skills with incredible ability, with the Englishman simply the complete midfielder.

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Denis Law is the third-highest goalscorer for Man United, with the Scot finding the back of the net on 237 occasions in 404 appearances between 1962 and 1973.

Nicknamed “The King” by Man United fans, he is the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d’Or, being handed the trophy in 1964, while he won two First Division titles, one FA Cup and the European Cup during his time at Old Trafford.

Law was incredible for Man United during the 1960s, with his standout season coming in 1963-64, when he managed 46 goals in all competitions, and he is one of the best goalscorers to ever play for the club.

It was difficult to leave Law out of the top five considering what he achieved at Old Trafford, but there was always going to be a place for the Scot in the top 10, as he is one of the most important players in their history.

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One of the best midfielders to ever play the game, Roy Keane was an incredibly influential player for Man United, with his performances in the middle driving the team to a number of trophies.

Keane turned out for Man United between 1993 and 2005, scoring 51 times in 480 appearances, winning seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League.

Arguably Man United’s greatest-ever captain, Keane arrived at the club as a goalscoring midfielder, having netted regularly during his time at Nottingham Forest, but he would later become a sitting player in the middle.

Keane’s time at the club ended on somewhat of a sour note due to his fall-out with Sir Alex Ferguson, but it does not dampen his legacy, with the former midfielder a truly sensational player for the Red Devils.

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Paul Scholes is also, without question, one of the most important players to have turned out for Man United, and he spent his entire professional career with the club, scoring 155 times in 718 appearances over two separate spells.

Scholes came through as an attacking midfielder with a real eye for goals, but he would later develop into a holding midfielder, becoming the best of his kind in world football for a number of seasons.

The Englishman won 25 trophies during his time at Man United, including 11 Premier League titles, which is the most of any English player in history.

A part of the ‘Class of 92’, Scholes retired from professional football at the end of the 2010-11 campaign, but he then returned in the early stages of 2012 due to the team’s injury problems in the middle of midfield.

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“King Eric” turned out for Man United between 1992 and 1997, scoring 82 goals in 185 appearances for the club, winning four Premier League titles and two FA Cups during a hugely-successful period at Old Trafford.

Eric Cantona sported the famous number seven shirt during his time with the Red Devils, and his transfer from Leeds United to fierce rivals Man United remains one of the most famous moves in history.

“He just had that aura and presence. He took responsibility away from us. It was like he said: ‘I’m Eric, and I’m here to win the title for you’,” his former teammate Paul Ince famously said.

Cantona helped Man United become a winning machine, with his personality and presence supplementing his incredible technical skills, and there was never any danger of the Frenchman being left out of the top five here.

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Ryan Giggs holds the record for the most appearances for Man United, representing the club on 963 occasions, scoring 168 goals in the process, while he has one of the best trophy cabinets of any player in the history of the sport.

The Welshman won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four League Cups, nine Community Shields, two Champions League titles, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one Club World Cup during his time at Old Trafford.

Giggs was also in the PFA Team of the Year on six occasions, and he spent his entire professional career with the Red Devils, debuting in 1991 before hanging up his boots at the end of the 2013-14 season after 23 years in the first team.

Predominately a left-sided attacker, Giggs is one of the best wingers to have ever played in the Premier League, and he is another hugely important figure in the history of the 20-time English champions.

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Man United’s all-time leading goalscorer, Wayne Rooney found the back of the net on 253 occasions for the Red Devils between 2004 and 2017, while he turned out for the club on 559 occasions.

Rooney’s total of 208 Premier League goals has placed him third in the competition’s all-time list behind Alan Shearer and Harry Kane, while he had huge success at Old Trafford in terms of trophies, notably winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

The former forward, who is currently in charge of Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle, proved to be an inspirational figure during his time at Old Trafford, and it all started when he scored a hat trick on his debut for the club against Fenerbahce.

Rooney is in incredible company towards the top of his list, but he certainly deserves to be there, and it will take a special player to take the all-time leading goalscorer for Man United record away from him.

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George Best was undoubtedly one of the most talented players to turn out for Man United, with the Northern Irishman representing the club on 474 occasions, scoring 181 times in the process.

Best won five trophies during his time at Old Trafford, including the 1968 European Cup, scoring in the famous 4-1 victory over Portuguese giants Benfica at Wembley Stadium.

He passed away at the age of 59 in November 2005, but he will forever be remembered.

Best’s pace, skill, dribbling ability and balance made him one of the most exciting footballers to watch, making his debut for Man United at the age of 17, while he was their top goalscorer in the league for five successive seasons.

The former forward is simply one of the finest players to have ever played the sport.

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There was only ever going to be one name at the top of this illustrious list, with Sir Bobby Charlton the greatest player to represent Man United, and he will forever be remembered as one of the legends of the sport.

Charlton, who passed away in October 2023, scored 249 goals in 758 appearances for Man United in all competitions, winning seven major trophies in the process, including three First Division titles and the European Cup.

He also famously helped England win the 1966 World Cup and is one of the country’s greatest-ever players.

A survivor of the Munich Air Disaster, Charlton had incredible vision and range of passing, while he hit the back of the opposition’s net on 249 occasions during his time in the famous red shirt.

Charlton was a rock in the dark days after Munich, and he had been the club’s all-time leading goalscorer until Rooney moved past him, while he is second behind Giggs in terms of all-time appearances for the Red Devils.

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