'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwb/2gAIAQEAAAAApD//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG/9oACAECEAAAABv/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAEDEAAAAG//xAAjEAABAgUDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAACAQMABBESIQYTQRUxUZKh/9oACAEBAAE/AJzTDDRS6CDGztGToqNwueKAuEWqpn5zHRVXLbMpZxUR7ekf/8QAGREAAQUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwACBBEi/9oACAECAQE/ADSzU3S//8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAh/9oACAEDAQE/ADS//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#4 Roy Keane
The definition of an influential captain, Roy Keane was the driving force behind United’s mid to late 1990’s domination of English football, the kind of player that could somehow grab a game around the throat and ensure that it was his side that came out on top.
He demanded nothing but perfection from every player around him and most of the time under his captaincy, he got it.
Keane was signed from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 1992 for a then-British record of £3.75m and became the successor to another United legend in Bryan Robson. He played largely in the holding midfield spot – a position not yet in vogue – but he was so much more than that too, often driving attacks and setting up and scoring goals as well.
Keane’s finest performances in a United shirt undoubtedly came in the treble-winning 1998/99 season, when United won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the Champions League.
The Irishman had returned from an ACL injury to reclaim his spot as captain, and his performance in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Juventus – after he’d been booked, ruling him out of a potential final – will go down in United legend.
Keane often flew off the handle and caused controversy – he wasn’t afraid to criticise his teammates or the club itself – but everything he did was for the betterment of his team and in his prime, he was probably the best central midfielder in the world, as well as arguably United’s greatest ever captain.
