5 deadliest striker duos in Manchester United history

#3 Stan Pearson and Jack Rowley

Jack Rowley

Jack Rowley joined Manchester United as a 17-year-old in 1937. It was around the same time that another teenager was making his first senior appearance for the Red Devils- Stan Pearson. The two of them showed promise of a bright future, but that partnership was broken as Pearson left to serve the 2nd/4th regiment in the Second World War. The fighter that he was, Pearson emerged a stronger character at the end of the war and came back to Old Trafford to fulfill his destiny.

Stan Pearson (R)

By then, Rowley had turned into a very capable goalscorer himself. Pearson immediately struck a chord with his countryman and the old spark in their strike partnership was back. Under Sir Matt Busby’s tutelage, United were emerging out of the shadows and marching towards regaining their lost glory. With the right guidance from Busby, the Pearson-Rowley striker partnership blossomed into one of the finest of the world and propelled United to the 1948 FA Cup.

The Red Devils continued to gather forces at the turn of the decade and Rowley’s goalscoring prowess continued to make a mark, earning him the nickname “Gunner”. Pearson also complemented him fairly well and the two of them were at the mix once again as the Red Devils won the league in 1952.

By the time Rowley left United in February 1955, he had scored 211 goals from 424 appearances. He is only the 4th United player to score more than 200 goals for the club. Pearson managed 148 goals from 343 appearances for the Red Devils, before leaving for Bury in 1954.