5 Players Who Prospered After Leaving Manchester United

Manchester United is one of the greatest clubs in the world with an unrivalled history in English football. The culture at the club and players that have come through the ranks are a testament to their quest to always be the best.

In the 21st century, United have brought in players who made a significant impact (such as Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002). But despite achieving relative success at the club, some players thrived further when they sought greener pastures elsewhere.

In their own right, leaving United ultimately proved to be the right career move. Here are five such players.

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#5 Memphis Depay

This young talent endured a tough time when it came to adapting to life at United. He was the young star who topped the goalscoring charts in the Dutch Eredivisie with 22 goals prior to his arrival.

The burden of replicating that form after signing for United in June 2015 proved difficult. The fact that he donned the iconic ‘number 7’ jersey did not do him any favours either.

In his one-and-a-half seasons at United, Depay scored only seven goals in 53 appearances. This prompted a move to Olympique Lyon in January 2017.

At Lyon, he found more freedom to express himself on the pitch. As a result, Depay emulated the kind of form that saw him named the Best Young Player in 2015 by France Football Magazine.

In the 2017/18 season, Depay hit top gear with 20 goals in all competitions. The team is placed third in the French Ligue 1 and remain on course to secure a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.

#4 Diego Forlan

Diego Forlan

The Uruguayan is a classic example of a move gone badly on one side of the coin and a move gone great on the other. He was signed by United in January 2002 after scoring 37 goals in 80 appearances for Indipendiente.

As a striker, Forlan struggled to get the goals in his two seasons at United. He managed to score just 10 goals in 63 league appearances for United.

In August 2004, he signed for Spanish side Villarreal and in his debut season, Forlan managed to score 25 goals to win the league’s top scorer award and European Golden Boot.

His contribution that season also enabled Villareal to finish third in the league and subsequently qualify for their debut Champions League campaign.

Forlan went on to score 54 goals in 106 league appearances before moving to Atletico Madrid where he scored 74 goals in 134 league appearances - a much better return rate compared to his stint at Old Trafford.

#3 Paul Pogba

The French international’s fairytale story began in 2009 when he was signed by United as a young prodigy. After shining in the reserves team, 18-year-old Pogba was promoted to the first team in February 2011 by Sir Alex Ferguson.

However, he had a bit of falling out with the manager due to limited playing time and his quest for more action. In the 2011/12 season, he made just four appearances with the senior team. This predicament prompted Pogba’s free transfer to Italian side Juventus.

It is in Italy that he honed his long-range passing ability and game-changing aspects of his game. His combination of size, strength, and ball control enabled him to break into the starting line-up.

His dominant style of play did not go unnoticed either as he won the 2013 Golden Boy award. Pogba was instrumental in pushing Juventus to clinch four consecutive Serie A titles and steering the team to their first Champions League final (2015) in 12 years.

It was also in 2015 that he produced a league-high 12 assists and added 8 goals. To cap it all, he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI too.

He became so good that in August 2016, he attracted a staggering £89.3m move back to United.

#2 Gerard Pique

Pique has won every trophy on offer with Barcelona

Gerard Pique, a product of Barcelona's La Masia academy, joined Manchester United in 2004. In the course of three seasons with the club, he made just 12 appearances before going on loan at Real Zaragoza.

At the end of his contract in May 2008, he signed for boyhood club Barcelona. Since that season, Pique has made at least 25 league appearances in every season.

As a central defender, he has chipped in 39 goals for the club which is an impressive feat. It is the switch to Barcelona that he became one of the most established defenders in the world.

National team selectors came calling as he became a starter for Spain in the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championships triumphs. At club level, he has won seven La Liga titles on top of three Champions League and six Copa Del Rey titles.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is Real Madrid's highest goal scorer

Cristiano Ronaldo is without any doubt the greatest export in United’s rich history. The Portuguese forward was already a great player by the time he left after four seasons with the club where he had notched 118 goals in 292 appearances,

He was an integral part of the United squad that secured three consecutive league titles (2007 to 2009) and lifted the Champions League trophy in 2008.

However, it was his world record transfer fee in 2009 to Real Madrid that paved the way for his current legendary status. The figures that he has managed are just phenomenal.

Ronaldo has scored over 40 goals in eight out nine seasons since leaving United. He has bagged 450 goals in 436 matches for the Spanish side. He has topped the scoring charts in Madrid’s three Champions League triumphs in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Since being named the world’s best player in 2008 when at United, Ronaldo has now won five Ballon d’Or awards. At 33, there is no sign that he is slowing down.

On 26 May, he will again lead the charge as Madrid once again chase a third consecutive European title.