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Right-Back: Gary Neville
One of Manchester United’s legendary Class of 92 graduates, Gary Neville was arguably the first of that group to really establish himself as a United regular. As a 19-year-old, he broke into the first team in 1994-95 to replace Paul Parker as the Red Devils’ first-choice right-back. Neville never really relinquished his spot until his retirement in 2011.
A consummate professional, even as a youngster, Neville gave off the air of a hardened professional. Never a flashy player, the right-back instead made consistency his greatest strength. Neville could never be accused of giving anything less than 100% for Manchester United.
Capable of brilliant defending and adept at pinging an accurate cross into the opposition’s penalty area, Neville was a one-club man and made over 600 appearances for United, 400 of them in the Premier League.
Now renowned as a television pundit following his 2011 retirement, there’s probably a fair argument to suggest that United have never truly replaced Neville, such was his consistency and greatness.
Centre-Back: Rio Ferdinand
Manchester United were forced to break the British transfer record to bring Rio Ferdinand to Old Trafford from Leeds in 2002. The Red Devils paid £30m for the England international’s services, but it’s fair to say that he was worth every penny in hindsight.
Renowned for his passing ability, vision, and calmness when on the ball, Ferdinand formed a defensive partnership with Nemanja Vidic that blended the Englishman’s skill with the Serbian’s steel. And to say the rest of the Premier League found it hard to get past the duo would be an understatement.
Over his 12-season career at Manchester United, Ferdinand made over 450 appearances for the Red Devils, with 312 of them coming in the Premier League. He helped his side win the Premier League title on six occasions and won three EFL Cups and the 2008 Champions League.
A decade after his prime, Ferdinand is still widely considered one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history. And it’s a no-brainer that he’d be considered in Manchester United’s greatest Premier League XI.
Centre-Back: Jaap Stam
It would’ve been easy to select Ferdinand’s defensive partner Nemanja Vidic for this spot, while others such as Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister also have a fair claim. However, for the impact he had on the 1998-99 treble-winning Manchester United side, Jaap Stam deserves a spot in their greatest Premier League XI.
Signed for a fee of just over £10m from PSV Eindhoven – making him the most expensive defender in football history at the time – Stam joined Manchester United in the summer of 1998. The Dutchman had an immediate impact when it came to shoring up their defense.
Stam was the constant in the Red Devils’ backline of what was their most successful ever season. Whether he was partnering with Ronny Johnsen or Henning Berg didn’t seem to matter, Stam was a colossus. And in his first season, he helped Manchester United to win the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Following 1998-99, Stam only spent another two full seasons at Old Trafford. And while he won another two Premier League titles, his final campaign was curtailed with injury.
Meanwhile, the 2001-02 season saw him leave United under a black cloud, harming his legacy somewhat. However, the impact he made in his debut season makes him worth of a spot here.
Left-Back: Denis Irwin
With all respect to Patrice Evra – who spent nine seasons at Old Trafford and won five Premier League titles – the only choice when it comes to Manchester United’s greatest left-back in the Premier League era is Denis Irwin.
Sir Alex Ferguson described the Irishman as one of his greatest-ever signings. And considering he cost just £625k in 1990, he’d also be considered one of his greatest bargains. Irwin ended up spending a total of 12 seasons at Old Trafford, making over 500 appearances in the process.
One of the most consistent and reliable defenders in Premier League history, Irwin was never the fastest left-back, but few wingers were capable of getting past him. And the Irish international was also more than capable in attack. A dead-ball expert, Irwin scored 33 goals in his United career, 18 of them coming in the Premier League.
Irwin’s career at Manchester United came to an end in the summer of 2002, when he left the club on a free transfer. During his time at Old Trafford, he won seven Premier League titles, two FA Cups, one EFL Cup, as well as three European trophies, including the 1999 Champions League.
