Top 5 players to play for both Real Madrid and Manchester United

Manchester United and Real Madrid are two of the biggest and most powerful clubs when it comes to global fan reach. The two clubs have a lot of rich history and are followed by millions of people all across the world.

Some high profile footballers have played for both Manchester United and Real Madrid

There are only a select few stars who have had the privilege of wearing the jerseys of both these clubs. It looks like Raphael Varane will be the next player to have represented both teams, with Manchester United having agreed a deal to sign one of world football's best centre-backs from the Spanish capital.

Ahead of the French World Cup winner's imminent move to Manchester United, we look at the five best players to have played for both Real Madrid and Manchester United-

#5 Gabriel Heinze

Heinze joined Real Madrid in 2007 after falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson

After impressing at PSG, Heinze joined Manchester United in 2004 and enjoyed a promising debut season, winning the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.

However, several injuries and the arrival of Patrice Evra saw Heinze fall down the pecking order. He then angered Manchester United fans by trying to force a move to arch-rivals Liverpool in 2007.

Both sides were embroiled in a legal battle, but Sir Alex Ferguson refused to sanction the deal and instead accepted an £8 million offer from Real Madrid.

The former Argentina international managed to make 58 appearances for Real Madrid during his two years at the club and managed to win one La Liga title before moving to Marseille in 2009.

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#4 Angel Di Maria

Di Maria was a shadow of himself at Manchester United

Having attracted plenty of interest during his time at Benfica, Angel Di Maria became Jose Mourinho's first signing at Real Madrid in 2010.

Di Maria starred alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, scoring 36 goals and providing 62 assists in his four seasons at the club.

The Argentine joined Manchester United in 2014 for £59.7 million and immediately hit the ground running with three goals in his first five Premier League games. It seemed that Di Maria would finally fill the void left by Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

But everything went downhill from there. Di Maria struggled to adapt to English football and failed to live up to his hefty price tag. He left for PSG for around £44 million in 2015 after spending just one season at Manchester United.

#3 Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy was one of the most prolific goalscorers in United's history

Ruud van Nistelrooy is another player who has played for both Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Van Nistelrooy joined Manchester United in 2001 and was one of the most prolific goalscorers in the club's history, netting 150 goals in 219 appearances during his time at the club.

But the striker left Old Trafford to join Real Madrid in 2006 following a bust-up with Sir Alex Ferguson on the final day of the 2005-06 season.

Nistelrooy excelled at Real Madrid too as he went on to score 53 goals in his first two seasons in Spain, winning back-to-back La Liga titles.

He scored 64 goals in 96 games for Real Madrid in total but started to struggle with injuries towards the end of his Madrid career and was subsequently sold by the club to Hamburg in 2010.

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#2 David Beckham

Beckham rose through the ranks at Manchester United

Part of the famous class of '92, Beckham came through the ranks at Manchester United and announced himself to the world with that famous goal against Wimbledon.

The Manchester United academy graduate had a stellar career at Old Trafford and played a starring role in United's historic treble success in 1998-99, but in 2003, the temptation of a special Galacticos side assembled by Florentino Perez was hard to turn down for him following a bust-up with Alex Ferguson.

Beckham impressed for both Real Madrid and Manchester United, but his trophy haul at United was much greater than that at Madrid.

At Manchester United, Beckham won six Premier League titles and one Champions League while at Real Madrid he managed to win just one Super Cup and one La Liga title in his 4 years at the club.

Despite that, Beckham is appreciated at Real Madrid and at Old Trafford he is considered a true legend.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo established himself as one of the greatest of all time at Real Madrid

Ronaldo joined Manchester United in 2003 as a direct replacement for David Beckham. He became one of the best players in the world at Old Trafford under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson.

But in 2009, the forward went public and expressed his desire to move to the Bernabeu. Despite Sir Alex Ferguson's desire to not let him go, Manchester United accepted a bid of £80 million for the Portuguese international.

Ronaldo's game in Spain went to a whole new level as he scored 438 goals in 450 appearances, winning two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies during his nine years at the club.

Ronaldo has always kept Manchester United close to his heart and has spoken fondly of the club on various occasions even after his departure. He is a club legend for both Real Madrid and Manchester United and his name will always be cherished by both set of supporters.