Ranking the 5 greatest forwards to play under Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has legendary status at Manchester United and there is no doubting why. The Scottish manager achieved unparalleled success with the Red Devils and ruled the Premier League for almost two decades.

The secret to Sir Alex Ferguson's success was his attacking and winning mentality on the pitch. He always encouraged his players to go for goals rather than sit behind to sneak out a draw.

Sir Alex Ferguson had some world-class forwards at Manchester United

Under Sir Alex Ferguson's management, Manchester United scored goals in abundance, which in turn helped the club achieve success. A lot of credit goes to the amazing forwards United had during the Scottish manager's reign.

With the help of some world-class forwards, Sir Alex Ferguson was able to have an efficient output in front of goal time and again. This only helped Manchester United's cause. On that note, let's take a look at five of the greatest forwards to play under the legendary manager at Manchester United.

#5 Andy Cole

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While playing for Newcastle United, Andy Cole attracted some strong interest from clubs in England. He had scored 34 goals in 40 Premier League appearances for the Magpies in the 1993-94 season.

In the summer of 1994, Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson were able to sign the Englishman. It turned out to be an amazing signing for the Red Devils as the right-footed striker was quite productive in front of goal. Over time, he became an integral part of Sir Alex's team with his link-up with Dwight Yorke doing wonders.

In his 184 Premier League appearances, he scored 91 goals and recorded 30 assists. In the process, he won the Premier League five times, FA Cup twice and the UEFA Champions League once.

#4 Ruud van Nistelrooy

The Dutch striker was an amazing athlete and a delight to watch in front of goal. Ruud Van Nistelrooy is arguably one of the best strikers of his generation.

Sir Alex Ferguson signed him from PSV Eindhoven in 2001. He had a stunning debut season with Manchester United as he scored 23 league goals. Over time, Van Nistelrooy's form only got better and helped United immensely.

He went on to score 95 Premier League goals in 150 appearances for the Red Devils. Had he not had a fallout with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2006, the Dutchman would have surely stayed and achieved more with the 20-time English league champions. Nonetheless, he remains one of the star forwards to play under Sir Alex.

#3 Eric Cantona

One of Sir Alex Ferguson's best signings at Manchester United has to be that of Eric Cantona. The French forward was a sensational player with a strong physique, creativity and goal-scoring abilities.

The former Marseille forward was signed from Leeds United in 1992 despite a strong rivalry between Manchester United and the Whites. Eric Cantona was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in view of adding experience to his young squad, especially with the Class of 92 players joining in.

The Frenchman did not disappoint one bit. He was simply outstanding as he imposed his authority on the game time and again, bringing a lot of success to Manchester United. During his time with United, Eric Cantona won four Premier League titles in five seasons, scoring 64 goals and recording 51 assists in the competition.

#2 Wayne Rooney

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Words do no justice to the contribution of Wayne Rooney at Manchester United. The English forward was an invaluable asset to the Red Devils under Sir Alex Ferguson and even after the Scotsman's retirement.

The word legend feels short in front of the amazing things Wayne Rooney has done for Manchester United. Scoring 253 goals for the Premier League giants, he's their top goalscorer of all time. With his aggression, tactical awareness and superb goal-scoring abilities, the former Everton forward was a beast of a player under Sir Alex Ferguson.

His link-up with Cristiano Ronaldo was very productive for the Red Devils. During his stellar career at Manchester United, Wayne Rooney won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup once, the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League once. He remains one of the best players ever to play in the Premier League.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

When Sir Alex Ferguson saw Cristiano Ronaldo play for Sporting Lisbon, he was quick to realize his talents and urged Manchester United to sign him. The Red Devils wasted little time and signed the Portuguese in the summer of 2003.

It did not take long for the fans to realize that it was a masterclass from Sir Alex Ferguson to bring Ronaldo to Old Trafford. The young Portuguese winger had immense potential back then, which helped him grow as one of the finest players in the Premier League.

With his mind-boggling dribbling skills and lethal goal-scoring abilities, it was very difficult to contain Cristiano Ronaldo. Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, he grew into a man at Manchester United, winning a number of trophies and being recognized as one of the best players in the world. In his first spell at United, Ronaldo scored 84 goals and recorded 34 assists, playing as a winger.

It was the foundation of the enormous success he was going to achieve in the future. Sir Alex Ferguson is Cristiano Ronaldo's football father and the former Manchester United manager played a vital role in bringing the Portuguese back to Old Trafford this summer.

About the author

Priyank is a sports media professional having more than four years of experience in sports content writing for multiple digital media platforms.

Being an Indian, the love for cricket came naturally to him but it is football that wins the heart every single time.

His major contributions have come at Sportskeeda, with a view to express and provide detailed analysis and information wherever possible.

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Edited by Nived Zenith