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South Americans were the order of the day for Manchester United this transfer window. After a busy deadline day, the Red Devils signed three players from the football-crazy continent.
Manchester United have rarely been one of the favourite destination for South Americans. Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, only seventeen players from Latin America has ever played for the Red Devils. It was in 2001 that Manchester United had their first South American after Juan Sebastian Veron completed a move from Lazio.
Let's take a look at the five best South Americans to play for Manchester United
5 Best South Americans to play for Manchester United
#5 Anderson
You know that Manchester United has had more South American busts than success when you see Anderson in the Top 5. The Brazilian was one of the hottest prospects in the world when he joined Manchester United. The midfielder's performances for Gremio and Porto had seen him catching the eye of Europe's biggest teams.
Anderson joined Manchester United from FC Porto in 2007. He had an impressive debut season, and was one of the players who scored for Manchester United during their penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final. Anderson continued his impressive form into the second season as he became the first Brazilian to win the Golden Boy award in 2008.
It was all rosy in the first two seasons for Anderson. During this period, the Brazilian won two Premier League titles, Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the League Cup. It was from the third season onwards that Anderson started his downfall. Issues with Sir Alex Ferguson over going to Brazil without his permission, and rupturing his cruciate ligament saw the midfielder have restricted appearances.
The next couple of seasons saw Anderson fall from grace. His appearances dwindled as he struggled with injuries and poor form. The retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 coincided with his downfall. The Brazilian made just ten appearances following the retirement of the legendary manager and moved to Internacional in 2015 on a free.
The Brazilian made 181 appearances for the Red Devils and scored nine times in a nine and a half year-long career. Sadly, he never realized the potential that won him the Golden Boy in 2008.
#4 Gabriel Heinze
The first South American defender to join Manchester United, Gabriel Heinze, joined the Red Devils in 2004 after an impressive spell with Paris Saint Germain. Signed as the replacement for Everton-bound Phil Neville, it didn't take very long for the Argentine to secure a starting spot.
Heinze had an impressive debut season and won the Manchester United Player of the Season award, the first non-European to do so. The Argentine had a forgetful second year, missing almost the whole season after damaging his cruciate ligament.
When he returned the following season, the Argentine found it tough to reclaim his left-back position. But, he played most of the matches as a makeshift center back after an injury crisis.
Struggling to dislodge Evra, Heinze asked Sir Alex Ferguson to transfer him to Liverpool in 2007. But, the legendary manager refused and the Argentine moved to Real Madrid instead. Despite his acrimonious exit, Heinze is arguably one of the best left-backs for Manchester United in this millennium.
Sadly for Heinze, the Argentine missed out on the Champions League after the Red Devils won the trophy in 2008. Heinze still made 83 appearances and scored four goals during his stay. He also won the Premier League in his final season at the club.
#3 Rafael da Silva
If Heinze was the first, Rafael was the best. The Brazilian joined Manchester United in 2008, along with his brother Fabio, from Fluminense. Rafael took on the challenge of replacing club legend Gary Neville. The full-back also brought some of the feisty and aggressive play normally associated with Neville.
Rafael was Manchester United's first-choice right-back towards the end of Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure. His fearless and energetic playing style made him a fan-favourite at Manchester. Under Sir Alex, the full-back won three Premier League titles, FIFA Club World Cup, League Cup, and Community Sheild.
But, following the retirement of the legendary manager, Rafael struggled to get into the starting lineup. Injury troubles saw the Brazilian missing couple of matches in the latter stages of his career. Rafael finally ended an eight-season relationship in 2016, moving to Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyon.
Rafael ended his Manchester United career with 170 league appearances and five goals.
#2 Carlos Tevez
From forming one of the most fearsome trios in Premier League history to joining rival team Manchester City, Carlos Tevez had a roller-coaster career at Manchester. The Argentine joined Manchester United in 2007 following a loan move from West Ham United.
Tevez, along with Rooney and Ronaldo, formed one of the best attacking trios in Premier League history. The trio scored more than 70% of United's goals that season as Tevez won the Premier League and Champions League in his debut season.
A similar season followed for the Argentine as Manchester United retained Premier League and added the League Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. But an acrimonious exit followed for the Argentine at the end of the 2008-09 season. Tevez rejected a chance to sign for the Red Devils and moved to city rivals Manchester City.
Despite his bitter exit, Tevez is the most prolific South American forward to have played for the Red Devils. The Argentine made 99 appearances and scored 34 times during his two-year spell.
#1 Antonio Valencia
It is not always easy to fill the void left by a legendary player. Antonio Valencia, on his arrival, had the difficult task of filling the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Ecuadorian joined Manchester United in 2009 after an impressive two seasons with Wigan Athletic.
Valencia had a stellar debut season, winning the League Cup and making his only appearance in the PFA Team of the Year. He was one of the best performers for Sir Alex Ferguson towards the end of his era. Under Ferguson, Valencia became the first Ecuadorian to win the Premier League title.
Following the legendary manager's exit and the subsequent turmoil, Valencia made a permanent switch to right back. He became the first non-European player to captain Manchester United following the retirement of Michael Carrick in 2016.
Valencia spent ten seasons at Old Trafford. During this period, the Ecuadorian won two Premier League title, two League Cups, FA Cup and the Europa League. He left the club in 2019 after making 339 appearances and scoring 25 goals.
He is one of the few players that have played at Manchester United under Sir Alex, Moyes, Van Gaal, Mourinho and Solskjaer.
