Ranking the greatest central midfielders under Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson left behind the greatest legacy among all Premier League managers through his tenure at Manchester United. He led the club to 13 Premier League titles, along with two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups.

Naturally, in his world-conquering team there were midfielders who orchestrated play from the middle of the park like few others in the world. They formed the heartbeat of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United teams over the years, etching their name into European football's folklore.

Like we ranked the five greatest defenders to have played under the legendary manager, in this article we will rank the greatest central midfielders to have played under the tutelage of Sir Alex.

So without further ado, here are the five greatest central midfielders to have played at Manchester United under Sir Alex:

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#5 Nicky Butt

Nicky Butt

Part of the famous 'Class of 92', Nicky Butt didn't grow up to become world-beaters like a few others of his colleagues from the group, but was still one of the most important players in Sir Alex's team that won the treble in the 1998-99 season.

Butt largely played as a combative midfielder, making 384 appearances for United between 1994 and 2004. He scored 26 goals in the process and provided 20 assists. He won eight Premier League titles with the club, along with a Champions League and three FA Cups.

After 10 years with his boyhood club, the midfielder left for Newcastle United in 2004. A loan spell at Birmingham followed in 2006 before he returned to Newcastle and played there until 2010. He subsequently moved to China before retiring from the sport in 2011.

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#4 Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick, the current assistant manager at Manchester United, is one of the most underrated players to have featured under Sir Alex Ferguson. Carrick went about his job silently, ensuring United have a defensive shield ahead of their backline while also spraying passes around the ground.

A West Ham United product, Carrick joined Manchester United from Tottenham Hotspur in 2004 for €27.20 million, He spent 12 glorious years at the club, also playing under David Moyes, Ryan Giggs, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

Carrick retired as a player in 2018 after having won five Premier League titles, a Champions League and an FA Cup. The former central midfielder was even deployed at centre-back by multiple managers at the club.

#3 Bryan Robson

Robson At Manchester United

Bryan Robson joined Manchester United five years before Sir Alex Ferguson took over as the club's manager in 1986. One of the greatest midfielders of his generation, Robson represented the club in 190 matches, and was part of the beginning of United's domination over the English Premier League.

Robson was a box-to-box midfielder, equally capable of dominating both halves of the pitch. He is also Manchester United's longest-serving captain, having won the Premier League twice before moving on to Middlesbrough in 1994.

Sir Alex recently included Robson in his best all-time Manchester United XI ahead of the Manchester derby.

"The midfield was probably a bit easier because you have [Roy] Keane, [Bryan] Robson and [Paul] Scholes - they were fantastic players - and [David] Beckham, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Ryan] Giggs," Ferguson told Sunday World (via Marca).

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#2 Paul Scholes

Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers - Premier League

One of the greatest midfielders of all-time, Paul Scholes ranks second on our list of the greatest mids to have played under Sir Alex Ferguson. Scholes spent his entire career at Manchester United, the only player on this list to have done so, making 711 appearances for the club.

Scholes is the second most decorated player to have played under Sir Alex, winning 11 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and four FA Cups. Scholes retired as a player in 2011 but returned just six months later to help Manchester United win the league. But the Red Devils fell short on goal difference to Manchester City.

He did play the 2012-13 season, Sir Alex Ferguson's last for the club, and retired thereafter. He scored 152 goals for the club and made 74 assists to cap off a great career.

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#1 Roy Keane

Champs League SF Roy Keane

The greatest midfielder to have played under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United is Roy Keane. The defensive mid was a great captain and wore with his heart on his sleeve.

Keane captained Manchester United to a historic treble in the 1998-99 season. Although he was suspended for the final against Bayern Munich, Keane ensured United qualified for the decider by scoring in the semifinal against Juventus. Sir Alex termed Keane's performance against the Italian giants as one of the greatest performances he had ever seen.

Keane spent 13 years at the club from 1993 to 2006 making 471 appearances, the fourth-highest in the club's history. He won seven Premier League titles, a Champions League and four FA Cups during his time at the club. He left for Celtic in the 2006 January transfer window before retiring as a player six months later.