Manchester United's 5 greatest players of all-time

Manchester United has been home to quite a few brilliant players since the inception of the club in 1878. Initially known as Newton Heath LYR Football Club, the club was renamed to Manchester United in 1902, marking the start of a legacy.

Since then the Red Devils have defied astonishing odds to become the most successful club of England and one of the biggest clubs in the whole world. From the seeds sowed by Sir Matt Busby, Manchester United has truly flourished.

The club was already world-famous by the time a certain Alex Ferguson took over the reins in 1986. The Scottish manager would take United to even greater heights, further enhancing the reputation of the club and its players. Despite the recent hiccups, Manchester United continue to be one of the biggest clubs in the world, which makes deducing the greatest player to represent the club a painful task.

However, this is exactly what we attempt here in this article. Who are the five greatest players to have represented Manchester United? Read on to find out.

#5 Duncan Edwards

"I always felt I could compare well with any player - except Duncan. He didn't have a fault with his game."

These are the exact words used by the Legendary Sir Bobby Charlton, to describe Duncan Edwards, who was just 21 when his life was cut short by the Munich disaster. Edwards was among the eight footballers who lost their lives in the tragedy.

The Englishman joined Manchester United as a teenager and showed great promise early on. He was touted to be the next big thing and was expected to touch unprecedented heights once his development was complete. Edwards was basically a defensive midfielder but had the technical nous to operate in a variety of positions with admirable ease. In the middle of the park, he was a natural leader, who dictated the midfield. The Englishman had the toughness and strength to carry out the defensive midfield role but was equally efficient with his passing and footwork. He could shoot with both feet and was an expert in long-range shots and could also head the ball very well.

Duncan Edwards perhaps would have become the greatest footballer of his generation had his life not taken such a tragic turn. In a playing career spanning fewer than five seasons, the Englishman inspired Manchester United to a couple Football League Championships, two Charity Shields and even helped the club reach the semi-finals of the European Cup. He is the fifth greatest player to have played for Manchester United.

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#4 George Best

"George inspired me when I was young. He was flamboyant and exciting and able to inspire his team-mates. I actually think we were very similar players - dribblers who were able to create moments of magic."

Diego Maradona used those words to describe George Best, so it is easy to imagine what a fantastic footballer he was. The Northern Irishman was discovered by Manchester United at the age of 15 and made his debut as a 17-year-old in the 1963/64 season, where he scored six goals from 26 appearances. Under Sir Matt Busby’s guidance, Best continued to develop and soon became one of the brightest talents in world football.

He had a flamboyance about his game that was bright and pleasing to the eye and he was heavily reliant on his brilliant dribbling skills. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest dribblers in the history of football. Best was fast, two-footed and knew the way to the goal very well, which meant he was a nightmare to defend against.

Best went on to appear 470 times for Manchester United, scoring 179 goals. He won two First Division trophies, two Charity Shields and one European Cup during that time. He was named the European Footballer of the Year in 1968 and has inspired a generation to get the football and try to beat a defender. George Best is a Manchester United legend and he is the fourth best player to have played for the Red Devils.

#3 Dennis Law

The Scottish footballer joined Manchester United in 1962. By then Dennis Law had already played a season for arch-rivals Manchester City but if there were any skeptics among the United faithful, they were silenced when he scored seven minutes into his debut against West Bromwich Albion. It was a sign of things to come because the Scottish striker would eventually turn into a goal machine for his club and he still is United's third-highest goal scorer.

Dennis Law played for 11 seasons at Old Trafford, appearing 404 times and scoring 237 goals. He won the First Division title twice, one FA Cup, two Charity Shields, and one European Cup. In 1964, Law won the Ballon d’Or and he still is the only Scottish footballer to have won the award. He set the record of scoring the most number of goals in a season for Manchester United when he found the back of the net 46 times in the 1963/64 season.

On the pitch, Law was a natural goal scorer. He was lovingly called the King by United fans, while the opposition often referred to him as Dennis the Menace. Every time he had the ball at his feet, fans around the stadium would get off their seat in anticipation, such was his ability to find the back of the net.

#2 Ryan Giggs

Perhaps former Manchester United manager Ron Atkinson described Ryan Giggs perfectly when he said,

"Ryan makes you believe there is a football God."

There’s very little to say about the Welshman that has not already been said. Ryan Giggs is a Manchester United legend and perhaps one of the greatest left-wingers the world has ever seen. However, it would have been all very different had Sir Alex Ferguson not snatched the Welshman away from right under Manchester City’s nose.

Giggs had a fiery start to his life at Manchester United and spent his entire career with the Red Devils, winning almost everything there is to win in club football. At the peak of his career, the Welshman was simply unplayable, as he combined blistering speed with astute technical abilities to torment defenses throughout the 90 minutes. Giggs modified his game in the latter stages of his career and also found a degree of success as a central midfielder.

The Welshman has a cabinet full of trophies that perhaps present the most glowing tribute to his abilities. Ryan Giggs retired with 13 Premier League trophies, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two UEFA Champions League titles, one FIFA Club World Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, and nine Charity Shields! He was the backbone of Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful reign at Old Trafford and is the second greatest player to have played for Manchester United.

#1 Sir Bobby Charlton

"There has never been a more popular footballer. He was as near perfection as man and player as it is possible to be.

That was the opinion of Sir Matt Busby, the man who had watched the Englishman from close. Sir Bobby Charlton joined Manchester United as a 15-year-old in 1953, oblivious to the fact that he would go on to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the club. He was one of the fabled Busby Babes, who were shaped by the ethics and etiquette of Sir Matt Busby. Sir Bobby was fast developing into one of United’s most important footballers when tragedy struck the club in 1958.

The Munich disaster left Sir Bobby in a state of shock, as he was among the handful of survivors from the crash. Losing his close friend Duncan Edwards left a deep void inside the Englishman but it also hardened him. He was crucial to Sir Matt Busby’s rebuilding of Manchester United, as the Red Devils rose from the ashes like a phoenix and dazzled the world yet again.

Sir Bobby helped England lift the 1966 World Cup and also won the Ballon d’Or in the same year. In the following year, he captained the Manchester United side that became the first English team to win the European Cup. He was United’s all-time leading goalscorer until he was surpassed by Wayne Rooney in 2018.

Sir Bobby appeared 758 times for Manchester United, scoring 249 goals. He is the greatest player to have played for Manchester United.

Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee