5 of the best Manchester United defenders in the Premier League era

Manchester United v Chelsea - FA Cup Sixth Round
Sir Alex signed a lot of classy defenders during his time at Manchester United

#4 Antonio Valencia (2009-present)

Manchester United v Everton - Premier League
Valencia is one of the best attacking full-backs in the league

When Sir Alex Ferguson signed Valencia way back in 2009, it was with the intention of playing him as a winger, mainly to fill the Cristiano Ronaldo shaped hole.

However, since then, Valencia has dovetailed nicely between defence and midfield and for the last 3 or 4 years, he has been used exclusively as a defender by Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

He makes the list for numerous reasons, firstly for being one of the best right backs in the Premier League despite being on the wrong side of 30.

Even more impressive is the fact that he has managed to convert from being a winger to being a regular starter in defence.

After a stellar season in 2011/12 (where he and Wayne Rooney were United's best players), he didn't do quite as well in 2012/13, which was the start of a transition to his current position.

Despite a few teething problems, he has transferred some of his greatest assets to his new position (explosive dribbling and pin-point crossing) and is now one of the first names on Mourinho's teamsheet.

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