Greatest Manchester United Premier League XI of this century

Manchester United v Watford - Premier League
Who makes the cut?

Manchester United have been the most successful team in Premier League history, winning 13 Premier League titles,despite faltering of late with their last title coming in 2012/13 which was Sir Alex Ferguson's final season as manager of the club.

Of course throughout this time, they've had many successful teams with a whole host of amazingly talented players in every single position. A significant proportion of these have been home-grown youth products who came up from the academy at an early age.

Others have been handpicked from abroad, with the lure and history of the Manchester United brand always able to attract the very best players in the world. That's still the case - with Jose Mourinho able to attract talent such as Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic despite United no longer being title contenders at the moment.

It's been a thankless task trying to pick only 11 players, with competition fierce for places in every single position. However that's what I've had a go at here. I've opted for a traditional 4-4-2 formation, which reflects the club's tradition of playing an attractive brand of attacking football.

Goalkeeper

Manchester United v Huddersfield Town - Premier League
David de Gea

Younger Manchester United fans might think this is an easy choice to make, but more seasoned fans know that's not the case. The Spaniard is regarded as the world's best goalkeeper and his rise since joining United- as a skinny 20 year old - has been remarkable.

Peter Schmeichel is a close second but de Gea can lay claim to being the world's best, which some argue the great Dane never managed to do.

Defence

Left back

Real Sociedad de Futbol v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League
Patrice Evra

Although the Frenchman may be known more for his kung-fu kicks these days (lot like another certain French player for Utd), in his prime he was a brilliant club servant for Man United. Known for his speed, passing and crossing abilities, Evra was as solid a defender as they come.

Towards the end of his United career he was even known to pop up with the odd goal or two, often spectacularly like his (ultimately worthless) goal against Bayern Munich in David Moyes' disastrous season in charge.

Centre back

Manchester United v West Ham United - Premier League
Nemanja Vidić

Vidic was signed at the same time as Evra, back in January 2006, and it's fair to say he had an even bigger impact on Utd's fortunes than the flying Frenchman ever did. Vidic was a rock at the centre of Man Utd's defence for nearly 8 years, along with Rio Ferdinand he formed a partnership which struck fear into gthe hearts of centre-forwards.

Centre Back

Real Madrid v Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Round of 16
Rio Ferdinand

Now a respected pundit and media commentator, Ferdinand was, until 2014, a mainstay of United's defence. Considering many people scoffed at Ferdinand's original £30 million transfer fee, he certainly paid that back multiple times over, at his 12 years at the club.

Though not renowned for his attacking abilities, he served as the perfect foil to Nemanja Vidic's more combative approach with his cultured forward play (like John Stones at the present) and won numerous honours throughout his time at the club.

Right Back

Manchester United v Burnley - Premier League
Gary Neville

To the puritans of football, Gary Neville was not a particularly technical or cultured right back. However, there's a reason that he won so many caps for England and trophies for Manchester Utd - his attitude.

A local lad from Manchester, Neville would sweat blood for the cause and was never afraid to put his heart on the line, an attribute which is reflected in his brilliant, unbiased analysis as a pundit on Sky Sports.

Midfield

Left Wing

Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs

This is one of the more straight-forward inclusions in the list. Giggs made the left-wing spot his own for nearly 20 years and even became the club's all-time appearance record holder, making nearly 1000 appearances and scoring over 150 goals.

Giggs is a living legend and many expect him to return to manage United one day (he did have a brief stint in charge in 2014 after David Moyes had been sacked).

Central Midfield

West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United - Premier League
Paul Scholes

Again Scholes' name speaks for itself. Widely heralded as the most gifted Englsh midfielder of his generation, if not all time, Scholes' unassming attitude belied a serious technical ability not normally associated with English players. Though his goalscoring rate declined in the later stages of his career, he was capable of executing a defence-splitting pass right up until his retirement. Many, myself included, think he retired too soon.

Central Midfield

Yeovil Town v Manchester United - The Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round
Michael Carrick

Maybe we'll only truly appreciate Michael Carrick's ability when he retires at the end of the season. The Geordie has pulled the strings in the Man Utd midfield for over a decade now and will be sorey missed. In his early career Carrick was criticised for only playing well when Scholes played alongside him. However, since Scholes retired, he has arguably been Man Utd's best performer, along with David De Gea.

Right Wing

Manchester United v Everton - Premier League
Antonio Valencia

The combative Ecuadorian has been at United for 9 years now and is a personal favourite of mine. Perhaps he is one of the more controversial players on this list, but his adaptability merits inclusion in itself.

Though he spent the early part of his career as a rampaging winger (with Sir Alex strongly denying his prospects as a replacement for Ronaldo), his successful conversion to attacking full-back has been impressive. If anything, Valencia is playing better than ever and continues to chip in with some important goals, often spectacularly.

Attack

Striker

Manchester United v Stoke City - Premier League
Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney eventually became Man United's all time top goalscorer which is a special feat, not as special as the player himself though.

Despite his form tailing off towards the end of his career, Rooney in his prime was a joy to behold, tearing opposition defences apart with his skill and power. He was also a great provider of assists and a willing worker, even playing left-wing to accommodate Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov.

Striker

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League
Critiano Ronaldo

In my opinion, Ronaldo is the best player to ever wear the iconic red shirt. Arguably one of the world's best players, Ronaldo combined pace power and athleticism. He perfected his own free kick technique and while he reached his best for Real Madrid, no United fan will ever forget his legendary 2007-08 season when he scored 42 goals.

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