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The legacy of jersey number 7 goes a long way back at Manchester United. The likes of George Best, Bryan Robson, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the few who wore the coveted jersey at Old Trafford. Though some have been supremely successful, others have failed to live up to its expectation.
Among the players who successfully wore the no.7 jersey, Geroge Best could arguably be the greatest among them all. He was Sir Matt Busby's best player and a game changer during his time. The Northern Irishman played over four hundred games for United and scored more than 150 goals in the process. Best was a prime example of skill, balance, pace, and goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the last player who maintained the level of expectation and performed stupendously with the no.7 on his back. Many have tried to replicate what their predecessors have done, but few managed to do justice to it. Players like Antonio Valencia, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay and now Alexis Sanchez wore the no.7 jersey but failed miserably.
Here are the three players who fall into the list of unsuccessful players who wore the no.7 jersey at Manchester United.
#3 Antonio Valencia
Antonio Valencia was one of the few players bought by Sir Alex Ferguson with the money they received from the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid. He started his career on English soil with Wigan Athletic where his performances drew the attention of many big clubs including Manchester United.
After Ronaldo left, it was apparent that Sir Alex would go for a winger in the summer and he saw the potential in Valencia to make it big at Manchester United. The Ecuadorian was given the no.25 shirt at the start of his Manchester United career, but his performances convinced the manager to hand him the no.7 jersey which was left vacant in 2012 by Micheal Owen.
However, the pressure of wearing the jersey got the better of Valencia, and he didn't look his best throughout the season. He finally gave it up in the following campaign and got back to the previous no.25 with the hope of regaining back his lost form.
Valencia is the current club captain under Jose Mourinho and an irreplaceable part of the squad. His trophy cabinet includes two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, a Europa League, and three Community Shields.
Once he decides to put the curtains down in his illustrious career, the former Wigan man would look back at his time at United as a successful one except for one glitch which he would not want to remember.
#2 Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria was a world-class winger when he arrived at Manchester United from Real Madrid for a reported transfer fee of £59.7 million. He found it hard to get a first-team place at Real after the arrival of Gareth Bale which saw Louis Van Gaal wasting no time in acquiring the services of the Argentine International at United.
Di Maria was given the no.7 shirt with the belief that he had the quality and the potential to carry on its legacy. The former Real Madrid man had a decent start to his Premier League career, but injuries started to take a toll on him. After missing a run of several games, he returned in January but looked a shadow of the player he was at Real Madrid.
At the end of the season, the pundits regarded his transfer as the worst of the season. The following campaign, Di Maria didn't show up for the pre-season training which angered both the management and the fans. He then moved to PSG on a four-year deal.
#1 Memphis Depay
Memphis Depay was one player who had the potential of Cristiano Ronaldo but lacked the temperament to achieve it. Depay played under Louis Van Gaal in the Dutch National team before Manchester United signed him for a reported fee of £25 million. In his last season with PSV, he was the league's top goal scorer with 22 goals.
Unlike Di Maria, Memphis requested for the no.7 jersey himself which was previously worn by some of the Manchester United greats. The former PSV man tried too many things, but nothing seemed to work for him. He blamed the physical nature of English football and the lack of recovery time between the games for his poor form.
His performances forced United to buy Antony Martial, and the Frenchman became an instant hit among the fans. Subsequently, Depay never really managed to get a consistent first-team place and once Jose Mourinho became the manager, his days got numbered.
After a couple of seasons with the Red Devils, Memphis moved to Lyon with a first-refusal clause in the contract if he is to be sold in the future. His time at Old Trafford was evidence of another player who failed to carry forward the legacy of the no.7 jersey.
