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Manchester United's status as the kings of English football remains unchallenged. Apart from winning numerous trophies, the Red Devils have also been represented by some of the finest superstars the world has witnessed over the years.
Players like Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were big names during their time at Old Trafford and were celebrated upon their departure. The group stands directly opposite another set of top players whose spell at the club left a lot to be desired.
Whether for sporting or non-sporting reasons, Manchester United have meted out disrespectful treatment to many elite footballers over the years. Below, we highlight five instances.
#5 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial was given the No.9 jersey when he switched to Manchester United from Monaco in the summer of 2015. However, just a year later, the Frenchman was forced to relinquish the shirt to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, albeit controversially.
The Red Devils apparently handed Ibrahimovic the number nine jersey in 2016 without Martial's knowledge. The move was seen as a disrespectful act by many, including the Frenchman's agent Philippe Lamboley who came out to criticize it.
Lamboley opened up in an interview when asked about the saga:
"I'm not going to lie to you. Yes, it got to him [Martial]. Yes, it surprised him. Yes, he was disappointed… for two days."
"But he's professional. He knew how to get back into things straightaway. Personally, I find that decision out of order and disrespectful to my player. I told Manchester United's board that. You just don't do it," added the Manchester United forward's agent.
#4 Jaap Stam
The Dutchman joined Manchester United from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1998. With his confidence, aggression and rigidity, Jaap Stam quickly became a vital figure in the Red Devils' team and one of the best defenders in Europe. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave the club in an embarrassing manner at the end of his third season.
The problem surfaced when the centre-back published a book titled 'Head-to-head'. It was claimed that some sections of Stam's book criticized Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United. That led to a period of unrest between the defender and the manager at Old Trafford.
As a result, the tactician decided to kick the Dutchman out of the club. Stam was driving home when Ferguson called him and told him to wait for him at a gas station. When Fergie arrived, he told the centre-back he had been sold to Lazio.
#3 David Beckham
David Beckham was primed to become one of the greatest Manchester United legends during his days at Old Trafford. But he couldn't get to that height due to a deterioration in his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The manager was annoyed with the winger's celebrity lifestyle and corporate pursuits. He felt Beckham's growing popularity was a threat to his authority in the dressing and consequently offloaded him to Real Madrid in 2003.
The situation was perfectly summed up in Ferguson's 2013 autobiography where he wrote:
"David was the only player I managed who chose to be famous, who made it his mission to be known outside the game."
"The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager he had to go... David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson. There is no doubt about that in my mind," said the legendary Manchester United boss.
#2 Angel Di Maria
The Argentine was at the top of his game when Manchester United signed him from Real Madrid in the summer of 2014. Di Maria had just led Los Blancos to claim the Champions League two months prior to his transfer.
The Red Devils had huge expectations from the attacker and gladly gave him their famous number seven shirt. He got off to a brilliant start, scoring twice in four games and winning the club's player of the month award in his first month. However, things went on a downslide from there.
Di Maria fell out with then Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and that was the beginning of his end at Old Trafford. A drop in form and intense criticism from fans and the media ensured the attacker had a spell to forget at Old Trafford.
He was sold to Paris Saint-Germain after just one season, and here is what he had to say regarding his time in Manchester:
“My problem at Manchester was the coach. Van Gaal was the worst of my career. I would score, assist, and the next day he would show me my misplaced passes. He displaced me from one day to the other, he didn’t like players being more than him.”
#1 Romelu Lukaku
The Belgian spent two seasons at Old Trafford after joining Manchester United from Everton in July 2017. Even though he bagged 42 goals and 13 assists for the Red Devils in 96 games, Romelu Lukaku didn't have a spell to remember at the club.
The striker was the subject of intense criticism. Everything he did - his touch, pace, weight and ball control - was heavily scrutinized. There was also a lot of off-field drama, prompting the attacker to leave for Inter Milan in the summer of 2019.
Lukaku managed to prove Manchester United wrong during his spell in Italy. He led Inter to claim the Serie A title last season, bagging 24 goals and 10 assists in 36 games. He's returned to the Premier League this summer, with Chelsea splashing a massive £97.5 million to secure his services.
