The Five Best Manchester United Players of All Time

1. Duncan Edwards

Duncan Edwards (1 October 1936 – 21 February 1958) was an English footballer who played for Manchester United and the England national team. He was one of the Busby Babes, the young United team formed under manager Matt Busby in the mid 1950s, and one of eight players who died as a result of the Munich air disaster.

Born in Dudley, Edwards signed for Manchester United as a teenager and went on to become the youngest player to play in the Football League First Division and the then youngest England player since the Second World War. In a professional career of less than five years he helped United to win two Football League championships and reach the semi-finals of the European Cup. Although he survived the crash of the team's aeroplane at Munich in February 1958, he died as a result of his injuries 15 days later.

Full name             :  Duncan Edwards
Date of birth         :  1 October 1936
Place of birth        :  Dudley, England
Date of death       :  21 February 1958 (aged 21)
Place of death      :  Munich, West Germany
Height                  :  5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position    :  Wing half

 

2. Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton

Sir Robert "Bobby" Charlton CBE (born 11 October 1937 in Ashington, Northumberland) is an English former professional football player who was a member of the England team who won the World Cup and was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1966. He played almost all of his club football at Manchester United, where he became renowned for his attacking instincts from midfield and his ferocious long-range shot. His former team-mate at United, Johnny Giles, in his new autobiography, titled 'A Football Man', describes Charlton as "the greatest player I ever played with or against". His elder brother Jack, who was also in the World Cup-winning team, is an ex-defender for Leeds United and coach.

He began to play for Manchester United's first team in 1956, and over the next two seasons gained a regular place in the team, during which time he survived the Munich air disaster of 1958. After helping United to win the Football League in 1965, he won a World Cup medal with England in 1966 and another Football League title with United the following year. In 1968, he captained the Manchester United team that won the European Cup, scoring two goals in the final to help his team be the first English side to win the competition. He has scored more goals for England and United than any other player. He had made more appearances for Manchester United than any other player (758),[1] a record superseded by Ryan Giggs at the Champions League Final in Moscow on 21 May 2008. However, Charlton still owns the club record for most league appearances with 606, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest English players of all time.

Full name           :   Sir Robert Charlton CBE
Date of birth       :  11 October 1937 (age 73)
Place of birth      :   Ashington, England
Height                :  5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Playing position  :  Attacking midfielder

3. George Best

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional football player, best known for his years with Manchester United. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders. In 1968, his annus mirabilis, he won the European Cup with Manchester United, and was named the European Footballer of the Year. When fit, he was an automatic choice for the Northern Ireland team, but he was unable to lead them to the World Cup qualification, despite being capped 37 times and scoring nine goals.

In 1999, he was voted 11th at the IFFHS European Player of the Century election, and 16th in the World Player of the Century election. Pelé named him as one of the 125 best living footballers in his 2004 FIFA 100 list and Best was named 19th, behind Gerd Müller, at the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. In his native Northern Ireland, the admiration for him is summed up by the local saying: "Maradona good; Pelé better; George Best.

Full name             : George Best
Date of birth         : 22 May 1946
Place of birth        : Belfast, Northern Ireland
Date of death        : 25 November 2005 (aged 59)
Place of death      : London, England
Height                   : 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position     : Winger
                            : Attacking midfielder

4. Eric Cantona

Cantona's career at United was relatively short, less than five years but during that time he became an icon. He built a fantastic rapport with the supporters who worshipped him and his name is still chanted by the Manchester United fans. During his time at the club he made 185 appearances and scored 82 goals in all competitions. His time at United was not without controversy the greatest of all being when he lunged with a kung fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan after being sent off in January 1995. He then went on to give one of the most famous football quotes of all time at the subsequent press conference, “when the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

Full name              : Eric Daniel Pierre Cantona
Date of birth         : 24 May 1966 (age 44)
Place of birth         : Marseille, France
Height                  : 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position     : Forward (retired)

5. Ryan Giggs

Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born 29 November 1973, Canton, Cardiff) is a Welsh footballer who has played for Manchester United for his entire professional career. He established himself as a left-winger during the 1990s and continued in this position well into the 2000s, but has been increasingly used in a deeper playmaking role in his later years.

Giggs is the most decorated player in English football history. On 16 May 2009, he became the first footballer to collect 11 top division English league title medals. Giggs was the first player in history to win two consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year awards (1992 and 1993) and is the only player to have played and scored in every season of the Premier League.

Giggs has had a long-lasting domestic and continental career and is the first player in UEFA Champions League history to have scored in 11 successive seasons, on top of being elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, the Premier League Team of the Decade, in 2003, as well as the FA Cup Team of the Century.

Full name              : Ryan Joseph Giggs
Date of birth          : 29 November 1973 (age 37)
Place of birth         : Canton, Cardiff, Wales
Height                   : 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Playing position     : Midfielder

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