Cristiano Ronaldo

Born :	05 Feb 1985
Signed :	12 Aug 2003
Debut :	16 Aug 2003 v Bolton (H)
Goals total :	118
Appearances total :	292
Position: :	Winger
Left United :	01 Jul 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo exhausted all superlatives during his six years with United, while he matured from an inexperienced, young winger in 2003 into officially the best footballer on the planet in 2009.
On the day he departed for Real Madrid in a deal worth £80m - making him the world's most expensive player - his former manager Sir Alex Ferguson said, "Cristiano has been a marvellous player for Manchester United. His contribution has been a major factor in the club’s success in that time and his talent, his ability to entertain and his infectious personality have enthralled fans the world over."

The story goes

that Sir Alex was persuaded to buy Ronaldo - largely unknown when he signed as an 18-year-old for £12.24m in 2003 - by his players on the plane home from a pre-season friendly against Sporting. In truth, the boss had long been aware of his ability. The urgency stemmed from other clubs’ increasing interest. This was a target Sir Alex simply could miss out on.

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David Beckham

Born :	02 May 1975
Signed :	08 Jul 1991
Debut :	23 Sep 1992 v Brighton (A) FA Cup
Goals total :	85
Appearances total :	394
Position: :	Midfielder
Left United :	02 Jul 2003

Arguably world football’s biggest name, David Beckham is a global phenomenon but a part of him will be forever Red.
A decade spent marauding up United’s right wing contributed to the most successful period in the club’s history, and his 57-yard strike against Wimbledon has become one of the most replayed goals of all time. He followed in the footsteps of his boyhood idol Bryan Robson by becoming captain of England, and has also become the only England player to score in three different World Cup finals.
The story began in July 1991 when a lifelong United fan moved north from Leytonstone to sign

apprentice forms for the Reds. He formed part of the Class of ‘92 that won the FA Youth Cup along with Butt, Scholes and the Nevilles but had to wait for his league debut - at home to Leeds United on 2 April 1995. The departure of Andrei Kanchelskis freed up a place of the right of midfield, and Beckham made it his own. Bagging the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea proved he was a man for the big occasion, and the season ended with United winning a second Double.

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Lou Macari

Born :	04 Jun 1949
Signed :	08 Jan 1973
Debut :	20 Jan 1973 v West Ham (H) League
Goals total :	97
Appearances total :	400
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	01 Jul 1984   1 July 1984

Lou Macari enjoyed 12 memorable years at Old Trafford – but so nearly ended up a Liverpool player.

In 1973 the Scottish striker was courted by Anfield boss Bill Shankly, and was a guest as Liverpool took on Burnley in an FA Cup tie. Coincidentally, United assistant manager Pat Crerand was sat close by, learned of Liverpool’s intentions and persuaded Macari to have talks with United instead.

Five days later Macari moved to Old Trafford for £200,000, leaving Shankly to claim that the striker would only have been a substitute at Anfield!

Macari had attracted attention as a young striker with Celtic. In six

years with the Glasgow giants, he won two league championships and two Scottish Cups, and played in three League Cup finals.

His fee raised a few eyebrows, but he quickly endeared himself to the United faithful by scoring on his debut, in a 2-2 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford.

Macari helped United to the Second Division championship, (finishing second in the scoring charts with 11) an FA Cup winner’s medal in 1977 and runners-up medals in 1976 and 1979. He was never an overly prolific striker, and in the late 1970s Tommy Docherty moved him into a midfield role.

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Denis Law

Born :	24 Feb 1940
Signed :	12 Jul 1962
Debut :	18 Aug 1962 v West Brom (H) League
Goals total :	237
Appearances total :	404
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	01 Jul 1973

A statue of Denis Law stands on the Stretford End concourse as a lasting monument to his impact on Old Trafford, and is a fitting tribute to one of United’s true living legends.
The ultimate goalscorer, his flair, spirit and genuine love for the game made him a hero of a generation and he revelled in the nickname The King. His reign lasted for 13 years.

The first time United fans saw Law score for the Reds was on 18 August 1962, on his debut against West Bromwich Albion. He was to repeat the feat a further 236 times for United, many of those celebrated with what became his trademark - arm in the air, hand clutching his

sleeve, finger pointing at the sky. It was a move aped in the playground by thousands of boys up and down the country, no matter their allegiance.

Law’s journey to Old Trafford followed a long and winding road. Starting off at Huddersfield in 1955, he signed for Manchester City for a British record fee in 1960 and moved to Torino in Italy the following year.

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Steve Bruce

Born :	31 Dec 1960
Signed :	17 Dec 1987
Debut :	19 Dec 1987 v Portsmouth (A) League
Goals total :	51
Appearances total :	414
Position: :	Defender
Left United :	01 Jun 1996

Pound for pound, the £825,000 Alex Ferguson paid Norwich City for this craggy, uncompromising centre-half two weeks short of his 27th birthday in December 1987, was one of the best deals Manchester United have ever done.

Bruce’s central defensive partnership with Gary Pallister – the pair were affectionately dubbed ‘Dolly and Daisy’ – was the bedrock on which three Championship-winning sides were built (1993, 1994 and 1996), as well as successes in the European Cup Winner’s Cup (1991), FA Cup (1994, 1996) and the League Cup (1992). It was arguably Bruce’s two critical late, late goals – a pair of towering headers – against Sheffield

Wednesday that tipped the 1992/93 Premiership title race in United’s favour  and really got the ball rolling for United’s dominance of the modern game.

Bruce’s was a steady climb to the football summit. A product of the famous Wallsend Boys Club that gave the game talents like Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and more recently United transfer target Michael Carrick, he represented Newcastle schoolboys, but was rejected at 16 by his boyhood idols, as well as Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday and Southport ¬because he was perceived to be too small

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Sammy McIlroy

Born :	02 Aug 1954
Signed :	01 Aug 1969
Debut :	6 Nov 1971 v Man City (A) League
Goals total :	71
Appearances total :	419
Position: :	Forward
Left United :

Debuts don't come much more unnerving than the Manchester derby, but the 17 year-old Sammy McIlroy came through his baptism of fire with flying colours – scoring once and assisting twice at Maine Road to instantly endear himself to the United faithful.

The Northern Irish winger was Matt Busby’s final signing at Old Trafford, penning amateur forms with United in August 1969. He turned professional two years later before his derby bow on November 6, 1971.

His emphatic entrance to the first-team setup didn’t seal a regular starting berth, and McIlroy largely remained a substitute for the next year.

Seriously

injured in a car accident in January 1973, he fought his way back into the team against all odds the following season to earn himself a regular place in the starting line-up.

That season ended with the gloom of relegation, but McIlroy was a permanent and crucial fixture in the side that secured an instant return to the top flight. His domestic importance was matched on the international scene, and he went on to win 88 caps for Northern Ireland.

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Ruud van Nistelrooy

Born :	01 Jul 1976
Signed :	01 Jul 2001
Debut :	12 Aug 2001 v Liverpool (N) Charity Shield
Goals total :	150
Appearances total :	219
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	28 Jul 2006

A prolific goal-getter, Ruud van Nistelrooy’s scoring exploits at Old Trafford have safeguarded his place in United folklore.
The Dutchman struck 100 goals in his first three seasons in Manchester. He overtook United legend Denis Law’s title as the club's all-time top scorer in European competition in his fourth term, and by the end of his fifth year at Old Trafford he’d reached 150 goals in fewer than 200 starts.

United initially had to be patient to get their man, however. Ruud marked his 22nd birthday by signing for PSV Eindhoven from Heerenveen for £4.2million, a then record fee between Dutch clubs.

His first league goal for PSV came against his former club in August 1998, and his international debut for Holland followed in November that year in a 1-1 draw with Germany. In two seasons Ruud notched 60 goals for PSV, alerting Europe’s top clubs, including United and Real Madrid.

Sir Alex was determined to sign van Nistelrooy. So much so, he kept in contact with the player for a year as he recovered from the cruciate knee ligament injury Ruud suffered whilst training with PSV. The setback came days after failing a medical with United in April 2000. After a remarkable recovery, he finally signed for the Reds on 23 April 2001 for £19m.

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Ryan Giggs

Born :	29 Nov 1973
Signed :
Debut :	02 Mar 1991 v Everton (H) League
Goals total :	168
Appearances total :	956
Position: :	Midfielder
Left United :

Ryan Giggs has made more appearances and won more honours than any other United player in the club's illustrious history.
He surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's previous record (of 758 matches) on the night he helped the Reds secure a third European Cup triumph - the second of his career - in Moscow on 21 May 2008.

United's most decorated player might never have graced Old Trafford, however, had it not been for Sir Alex Ferguson’s intervention. Cardiff-born Giggs was attending Manchester City's School of Excellence in his early teens, but Sir Alex made a personal visit to his house on his 14th birthday and Ryan

jumped at the chance to sign for his boyhood favourites.

Ryan turned professional at United in November 1990 and made his league debut in the old Division One against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991 as a substitute for Denis Irwin. His first league start in 1991/92 also proved a memorable occasion, as he also scored his first ever United goal that day (albeit via a huge deflection off Colin Hendry) in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

Giggs' first senior trophy arrived in November 1991 as United beat Red Star Belgrade in the European Super Cup final - Giggs was a 71st minute substitute for Lee Martin

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Jack Rowley

Born :	07 Oct 1920
Signed :	22 Oct 1937
Debut :	23 Oct 1937 v Sheff Wed (H) League
Goals total :	211
Appearances total :	424
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	01 Feb 1955

With a lethal left foot that earned him the nickname ‘Gunner’, Jack Rowley fired the Reds to glory in the post-War years as Matt Busby’s United masterplan came to fruition.
At his peak Rowley – like his equally prolific brother Arthur – was one of the most feared strikers in the country, great in the air and on the ground.

Rowley joined the Reds for £3,000 in 1937 after brief spells with his hometown club Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic, where he scored 10 goals in 11 appearances. In his first full season at Old Trafford he helped United to a Second Division runners-up spot and a first return

to football’s top table since 1931.

As competitive league football was suspended with the outbreak of war, Rowley served in the South Staffordshire regiment, participating in the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1945. He also guested during hostilities for Wolves, Aldershot, Belfast Distillery, Folkestone, Shrewsbury Town and Tottenham Hotspur.

When a full league programme recommenced in 1946, Rowley resumed his career with United. He was a mainstay of the 1948 FA Cup-winning side – with its ‘Famous Five’ forward line – scoring twice in the 4-2 final victory over Blackpool.

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Wayne Rooney

Born :	24 Oct 1985
Signed :	31 Aug 2004
Debut :	28 Sept 2004 v Fenerbahce (H)
Goals total :	208
Appearances total :	426
Position: :	Striker
Left United :

Wayne Rooney is one of only 25 players to have made 400 appearances for Manchester United – and he became the fourth youngest Red to reach that milestone in April 2013.
The striker burst onto the Old Trafford stage in September 2004, netting an unforgettable hat-trick against Fenerbahce on his debut.
Perhaps his performance wasn't that surprising, given the enormous pedigree he had amassed since making a lasting impression on now-Academy manager Paul McGuiness some years previous. In an Under-9 match between United and Everton, McGuiness remembers. “Rooney scored the perfect bicycle kick,

which for a kid of eight or nine years old was really something special." It merely hinted at what was to follow and, of course, it was a trick he would repeat on the biggest of stages in the Manchester derby, netting a goal that will be repeated forever more.

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Gary Pallister

Born :	30 Jun 1965
Signed :	29 Aug 1989
Debut :	30 Aug 1989 v Norwich City (H) League
Goals total :	15
Appearances total :	437
Position: :	Defender
Left United :	01 Jul 1998

A pacy defender with excellent aerial ability and terrific ball control given his towering 6ft 4in frame, Gary Pallister formed half of arguably the greatest central defensive partnership the club has known.

With Steve Bruce by his side ‘Dolly and Daisy’, as they were affectionately dubbed, saw off all comers to United’s 18-yard box in a glorious seven-season stint together.

Their rock-like presence yielded three Premiership titles (1993, 1994, 1996), two runners-up spots, the 1991 European Cup-Winner’s Cup and Super Cup, three FA Cups (1990, 1994, 1996) and the League Cup of 1992.

Born on the Kent coast

in Ramsgate in June 1965, Pallister started his career with non-league Billingham Town and joined the Reds from his boyhood heroes Middlesbrough for £2.3 million in August 1989 – then a record fee for a British defender.

Given a weight-training regime to bulk his skinny body up, the 13th-placed finish of his first season – virtually impossible to conceive of now – was followed by a remarkable run in which United finished outside the top two just once in the next eight campaigns.

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Rio Ferdinand

Born :	07 Nov 1978
Signed :	22 Jul 2002
Debut :	27 Aug 2002 v Zalaegerszeg (H)
Goals total :	8
Appearances total :	445
Position: :	Defender
Left United :

Armed with elegance, pace and an astute ability to read the game, Rio Ferdinand is one of the finest defenders in world football.

The Peckham-born star burst onto the Premiership scene with West Ham United under the guidance of Harry Redknapp before being snapped up by Leeds United for £18million in November 2000. The 2002 World Cup provided Rio the stage to make the transformation from budding talent to accomplished defender, and his performances in Japan convinced Sir Alex to part with £30million.

Although initially hampered by injury, Rio found his feet towards the end of his first season, as United overtook Arsenal to win a 15th league title. But in

September 2003, disaster struck. The defender missed a routine drugs test and, despite appealing and the test results coming back negative, was banned from football for eight months in January 2004.

Since returning from suspension, Rio has consistently justified his tag as a world-class defender. He's also chipped in with valuable goals, perhaps most dramatically with an injury-time winner against Liverpool in January 2006.

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Jack Silcock

Born :	15 Jan 1898
Signed :	01 Apr 1916
Debut :	30 Aug 1919 v Derby County (A) League
Goals total :	2
Appearances total :	449
Position: :	Full-back
Left United :	01 Aug 1934

He may not be a household name, but Jack Silcock was one of United’s most loyal and dependable players for 15 years between the wars.

For most men of his generation, football was rare as a first-class profession and Wigan-born Jack began his working life as a miner at Aspull Colliery.

His talents were spotted with local outfit Aspull juniors, and he signed for the Lancashire combination club, Atherton.

In 1916 United manager John Robson spotted Silcock, still just 18, on a scouting trip. He signed amateur forms in April that year and turned professional the following year.

He played in the

wartime league, but had to wait until August 1919 to make his first team debut, in a 1-1 draw with Derby County. From that point Silcock became a permanent fixture in the United backline.

Jack was a strong, skilful full-back with excellent distribution skills and went on to make 449 first-team appearances in a decade-and-a-half with United.

Although his performances didn’t deliver any silverware, they earned him three full England caps. He also played three times for the Football League representative side.

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Martin Buchan

Born :	06 Mar 1949
Signed :	28 Feb 1972
Debut :	4 March 1972 v Spurs (A) League
Goals total :	4
Appearances total :	456
Position: :	Defender
Left United :	01 Aug 1983

For a decade Martin Buchan was United’s arguably most influential player. A cultured centre-half on and off the pitch, he was captain for six years during the 1970s, leading the Reds to the Second Division title in 1974/75 and the FA Cup in 1977.

Buchan began his career at Aberdeen as a schoolboy, turning professional in August 1966. His progress was swift and by the age of 20 he was handed the captain’s armband at Pittodrie and enjoyed early success, leading the Dons to victory in the Scottish Cup Final of 1970 – the youngest player ever to do so.

Soon he was attracting attention south of the border and towards the end of

the 1971/72 season Liverpool, Leeds United and Manchester United were all chasing the classy young defender. On 29 February 1972 Frank O’Farrell signed Buchan for £125,000 – then the club’s record signing. His early days at United weren't the happiest of times. The standard of the team was not quite as high as first expected and at the end of the 1973/74 season Buchan found himself experiencing the seemingly unthinkable: demotion to the Second Division.

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Bryan Robson

Born :	11 Jan 1957
Signed :	05 Oct 1981
Debut :	7 Oct 1981 v Spurs (A) League Cup
Goals total :	99
Appearances total :	461
Position: :	Midfielder
Left United :	31 May 1994

It was a fitting climax to United's 1992/93 FA Premier League championship season when Bryan Robson scored the campaign's last goal to clinch a 2-1 victory against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park.

Six days earlier 'Captain Marvel' had jointly accepted the FA Premier League trophy with Steve Bruce as the curtain came down on an Old Trafford season in which a 26-year wait for the game's ultimate domestic honour was finally over.

Back and hamstring problems had blighted Robson's season, but in typical fashion he fought bravely to reclaim his place. Indeed, various injuries plagued so much of his remarkable career for club and

country, that it was laughably suggested at times by the media that he should ease up!  For such a fiercely committed and courageous player it was perhaps just an inevitable price that had to be paid.

In his early days with West Bromwich Albion, three leg breaks inside a year threatened his future, but with great determination he somehow made a complete recovery.

He had appeared in close on 200 league games for the Baggies, scoring 39 goals, when new United boss Ron Atkinson returned to his former club and paid a joint fee of around £2 million to bring both Robson and Remi Moses to Old Trafford in October 1981.

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Mark Hughes

Born :	01 Nov 1963
Signed :	01 Jun 1980
Debut :	30 Nov 1983 v Oxford Utd (A) League Cup
Goals total :	163
Appearances total :	467
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	31 May 1995

They say the only way is down after you leave United, but few players move to a club like Barcelona, and fewer yet return to Old Trafford for a second even more successful spell with the Reds. Mark Hughes made a habit of doing things his own way throughout a brilliant career.

His love affair with United began in March 1978 when he signed schoolboy forms as a 14-year-old, but few would have believed that this young midfielder from Wrexham would go on to become one of the club’s greatest-ever goalscorers.

United youth coach Syd Owen was the man to spot Hughes’ potential as a striker and for that every Red owes him a debt of

thanks. Sparky made a goalscoring debut against Oxford in November 1983 and six months later marked his international debut against England with another goal.

In 1985 he was named PFA Young Player of the Year and picked up an FA Cup winner’s medal, but a contract dispute halted his progress with the Reds and a year later he was out of United and off to Barcelona, surprisingly snapped up by Barca manager Terry Venables.
Hughes never settled at the Nou Camp and described his Catalan move as “horrible”, scoring only four goals in 28 games. A year later he was sent to Bayern Munich on loan where he refound his

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George Best

Born :	22 May 1946
Signed :	22 May 1963
Debut :	14 Sept 1963 v West Brom (H) League
Goals total :	179
Appearances total :	470
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	02 Jan 1974

“If I’d been born ugly, you’d never have heard of Pelé.” Many a true word is spoken in jest, and few would argue that George Best was the most naturally gifted footballer Britain has produced.
Speed, balance, vision, superb close control, the ability to create chances and score from seemingly impossible situations tells half the story. The other half was an uncontainable zest for the game as it should be played, a ceaseless trickery and joy. Pelé, for his part, dubbed United’s no.7 "the greatest player in the world."

A skinny teenager from Belfast's Cregagh estate, Best was spotted by United scout Bob Bishop, who famously

told Matt Busby: “Boss, I think I’ve found you a genius”.

Having fought off initial homesickness, Best turned professional on his 17th birthday in May 1963, made his debut in September – and scored on his second appearance. A first cap for Northern Ireland swiftly followed.

In 1964/65, alongside Denis Law, Bobby Charlton and David Herd, Best was a key figure in the Reds’ first title triumph since the pre-Munich era.

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Brian McClair

Born :	08 Dec 1963
Signed :	01 Jul 1987
Debut :	15 Aug 1987 v Southampton (A) League
Goals total :	127
Appearances total :	471
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	01 Jul 1998

Brian McClair booked his place in the annals of Old Trafford history when he became the first player since George Best to score 20 league goals for the Reds.

Numerous strikers had strived but failed to achieve the feat in the intervening 20 years - a plausible explanation, no doubt, for United's failure to win the title in that period. If only the formula were so straightforward - McClair might have scored 24 goals in his debut season but still the league was out of reach. For 1987/88 was also the season when Liverpool went on the rampage, finishing nine points ahead of United.

Like his '70s and '80s predecessors, McClair had to settle for

success in the cup competitions as the quest for the Holy Grail, the elusive league title, continued. As the spearhead in a thriving partnership with Mark Hughes, he more than played his part as the Reds won four trophies between 1990 and 1992.

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Roy Keane

Born :	10 Aug 1971
Signed :	19 Jul 1993
Debut :	7 Aug 1993 v Arsenal (N) Charity Shield
Goals total :	51
Appearances total :	480
Position: :	Midfielder
Left United :	18 Nov 2005

Sir Alex Ferguson labelled him the best he's ever worked with, aspiring footballers and Reds everywhere worshipped the ground he walked on: Roy Keane epitomised the unwavering spirit and desire to succeed Manchester United stands for.
Few sportsmen lead from the front in the way Keane did, on and off the pitch - and the fact that more than 70,000 United and Celtic fans paid their tributes to him at his testimonial before he retired in June 2006 says it all.

Images of him rallying the troops, covering every blade of grass in the process define the 1990s for United. He was not afraid to speak his mind in front of the media,

particularly if he felt his colleagues were not reaching the high standards he expected.

The Cork-born midfielder began his career with Cobh Ramblers after failing to gain an apprenticeship in English football. Brian Clough took him to Nottingham Forest before he completed a then-record £3.75 million switch to Old Trafford in the summer of 1993.

Two goals on his home debut, a 3-0 win over Sheffield United, served notice of what would follow, and the gladiatorial Keane won the first of seven Premiership medals that season, adding a European Cup, Intercontinental Cup and four FA Cup winners' medals along the way.

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Arthur Albiston

Born :	14 Jul 1957
Signed :	01 Jul 1974
Debut :	9 Oct 1974 v Man City (H) League Cup
Goals total :	7
Appearances total :	485
Position: :	Full-back
Left United :	01 Aug 1988

Only a handful of players have represented Manchester United more times than this reliable, consistent Scottish left-back.
For the best part of a decade Arthur Albiston was a permanent fixture in the Reds' starting line-up, during which he collected three FA Cup winners' medals, 14 Scotland caps, and won many admirers for his unflashy, yet solid displays.

Albiston joined the club as a trainee in July 1972. Two years later he turned professional, making his first-team debut on 9 October 1974 in a League Cup tie victory against Manchester City at Old Trafford in front of 55,000.

Six days after, he made his

league debut at Portsmouth – he had to wait until 1976/77 for his breakthrough as a first-team regular.

His opportunity arrived in dramatic circumstances. Following injury to Stewart Houston, Albiston was called in as a replacement for the 1977 FA Cup final against Liverpool.

With an impressive performance he helped United to a 2-1 victory, collected his first winners’ medal, then made the noble gesture of offering it to the man he’d replaced – a gesture Houston turned down.

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Joe Spence

Born :	15 Dec 1898
Signed :	01 Mar 1919
Debut :	30 Aug 1919 v Derby County (A) League
Goals total :	168
Appearances total :	510
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	01 Jun 1933

One of United’s few true stars between the wars, Joe Spence's scintillating wing play made "Give it to Joe" the most regularly aired terrace chant during his 14 years at Old Trafford.
Indeed, such was his importance to United, and Manchester, he was known locally as ‘Mr Soccer’.

Born in Throckley, Northumberland, the young Spence played for Blucher Juniors and Throckley Celtic. While with the former, he scored an astonishing 42 of the team’s 49 goals in his first season. At 13 he began work as a miner and was conscripted into the army at 17, where he served as a machine-gunner.

He guested for Liverpool,

Newburn and Scotswood during his years in service and won the Army Cup with his battalion. But in March 1919, the year after the First World War ended, Spence signed for United from north-east amateur side, Scotswood.

He wasted no time making an impact: scoring four in a 5-1 Lancashire Section drubbing of Bury at Old Trafford on his debut. His official debut came in August when the league programme resumed and he was a model of consistency after that, making 510 appearances and scoring 168 goals.

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Tony Dunne

Born :	24 Jul 1941
Signed :	01 Apr 1960
Debut :	15 Oct 1960 v Burnley (A) League
Goals total :	2
Appearances total :	535
Position: :	Full-back
Left United :	01 Aug 1973

An unsung hero of Sir Matt Busby's trailblazing side of the 1960s, Tony Dunne is one of the greatest full-backs in the club’s history.
Signed in 1960 from Shelbourne as cover for Noel Cantwell or Shay Brennan, Dunne's big chance came when he replaced Brennan in the line-up for the 1963 FA Cup final victory against Leicester City. A brave, speedy defender, he went on to cement a place in the first team following that success and missed only six league games over the next four seasons.

That FA Cup winner’s medal was only the start. The Irish full-back also helped United to win the title in 1965 and 1967 and the

European Cup in 1968. He played in every round en route to the final and deserved his medal as much as any of the stars who scored the goals.

He left United in August 1973 on a free transfer to Bolton. In hindsight he was probably released too early as he went on to play more than 200 matches for Bolton, contributing to over 700 career league appearances in total. He won 33 Republic of Ireland caps in an international career spanning 14 years. He was Irish Footballer of the Year in 1969, a rare personal award for such a team player.

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Alex Stepney

Born :	18 Sep 1942
Signed :	01 Sep 1966
Debut :	17 Sept 1966 v Man City (H) League
Goals total :	2
Appearances total :	539
Position: :	Goalkeeper
Left United :	01 Jun 1978

Alex Stepney earned Old Trafford immortality the night Manchester United became European champions in 1968.
On that balmy May evening at Wembley, with United and Benfica drawing 1-1, Stepney held on to a ferocious shot from Eusebio to ensure the game would go into extra-time. The additional half-hour was illuminated by goals from George Best, Bobby Charlton and Brian Kidd, as the Reds run out 4-1 winners, but the importance of Stepney’s save was lost on no-one.

Stepney began his career as a trainee at Millwall, before moving to Chelsea for £52,000 in June 1966. After only three months at Stamford Bridge he made the switch

to Old Trafford, Sir Matt paying a then world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £55,000.

On his debut against Manchester City, he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory and by the end of the season had won a League Championship medal to cap a wonderful first season. In fact, such was his contribution that Sir Matt Busby described signing him as “the single most important factor behind our championship in 1967.”

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Gary Neville

Born :	18 Feb 1975
Signed :	08 Jul 1991
Debut :	16 Sep 1992 v Torpedo Moscow (H) UEFA Cup
Goals total :	7
Appearances total :	602
Position: :	Full-back
Left United :	02 Feb 2011

\

Gary Neville called time on an illustrious playing career on 2 February 2011, almost 20 years after making his debut for United.
He belongs to an elite group of players who have skippered the Reds to Premier League title glory. Following on from Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane, Neville realised a lifelong dream as he became the fifth United captain to lift the Premier League trophy following the Reds' triumph in 2006/07.
Neville himself had missed the final stages of that season, having suffered ankle ligament damage just 11 minutes into the visit of Bolton to Old Trafford on 17 March

2007. The same injury kept him out for most of the 2007/2008 season.
The Bury-born defender was handed the skipper's armband following Keane’s departure during 2005/06. Being one of the Reds' most consistent and committed performers since establishing himself in the side in 1994/95 at the expense of Paul Parker, Neville was a natural choice. He is as loyal a servant as you could hope to have, and in an age where players rarely stay put for long, he's among a dying breed of one-club men. "United is the only club I've ever wanted to play for," he says

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Bill Foulkes

Born :	05 Jan 1932
Signed :	01 Mar 1950
Debut :	13 Dec 1952 v Liverpool (A) League
Goals total :	9
Appearances total :	688
Position: :	Defender
Left United :	01 Jun 1970

Bill Foulkes will always be remembered as a loyal and legendary servant of Manchester United, after an epic playing career which spanned a remarkable 18 seasons.
Foulkes, who passed away on 25 November 2013, made 688 appearances for the Reds - a total surpassed by only three men - his team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton and more recently by Paul Scholes and the club's record-holder Ryan Giggs.
An old-fashioned stopper who relished facing a bustling centre-forward, he provided so much solidity to the United rearguard that it was rare for Sir Matt Busby to omit him.

Foulkes joined the club as an amateur in March 1950

and turned professional in August 1951 after leaving his mining job at Lea Green Colliery, St Helens. His United debut came halfway through the 1952/53 campaign as a right back, but he later moved to his favoured position of centre half. The switch suited Foulkes as he preferred to keep things simple, passing to his more gifted team-mates at the first opportunity.

A survivor of the Munich air crash, Foulkes captained a depleted United in the aftermath of the tragedy and led the Reds to the 1958 FA Cup final. Defeat against Bolton Wanderers was a bitter pill to swallow, but it was a rare one.

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Paul Scholes

Born :	16 Nov 1974
Signed :	08 Jul 1991
Debut :	21 Sep 1994 v Port Vale (A) League Cup
Goals total :	155
Appearances total :	718
Position: :	Midfielder
Left United :	19 May 2013

You must have a rare and special football talent to impress the great Sir Bobby Charlton. The United legend summed up Paul Scholes perfectly: "He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."
Part of the new wave of talent that ushered in Beckham, Giggs, Butt and the Neville brothers in the mid-1990s, Salford-born Scholes scored twice on his debut in the League Cup at Port Vale in 1994/95 – and on his first league outing against Ipswich – and never looked back.
A host of golden seasons at Old Trafford include 1995/96’s Double-winning campaign, in which he

covered admirably during Eric Cantona’s suspension, finishing second behind the Frenchman in the scoring charts with 14 goals; he was a cornerstone of 1999’s Treble-winners, although suspension ruled him out of the UEFA Champions League final, and in United’s Premier League success in 2003, his 20-goal haul was vital.
Neat and compact, a misplaced Scholes pass was one of the rarest sights in football. His superb eye for goal and late runs from midfield also served his country superbly on 66 occasions.

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Sir Bobby Charlton

Born :	11 Oct 1937
Signed :	01 Jun 1953
Debut :	6 Oct 1956 v Charlton (H) League
Goals total :	249
Appearances total :	758
Position: :	Forward
Left United :	01 May 1973

Nobody embodies the values of Manchester United better than Sir Bobby Charlton. Having survived the trauma of Munich aged just 20, he played as if every game was for his fallen colleagues, recovering from his injuries to reach the pinnacle for both club and country.
In a 17-year playing career with United, he played a record 754 games, scoring 247 goals. It is unlikely his deeds will ever be matched. Although highly coveted by clubs across the country, the young Charlton, nephew of the great Newcastle striker Jackie Milburn, turned professional with United in October 1954, winning the FA Youth Cup in 1954, 1955 and 1956.

His league debut came on 6 October 1956 against Charlton at Old Trafford and the youngster made an immediate impact, scoring twice despite carrying an injury. “Mr Busby asked me if I was ok,” recalled Sir Bobby. “I actually had a sprained ankle, but I wasn’t going to admit to it and I crossed my fingers and said ‘yes’.”

Despite his dramatic bow, Charlton didn’t command a relatively regular place until the latter stages of the 1956/57 season, notching 10 goals as the Busby Babes won a first title. Competition for a first-team spot was intense, but a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers in January 1958 certainly helped his cause, and Busby

found it harder and harder to leave out the powerful young forward.

A month later Charlton scored twice in United’s 3-3 draw against Partizan Belgrade as the Babes sealed a place in the semi-finals of the European Cup. It was on their return that disaster struck, and Charlton was among those injured. His wounds were relatively minor, however, and he was back in action within a month.

Charlton proved an integral component of the post-Munich rebuilding, plying his trade across the field while the rest of the side was reconstructed. A permanent switch to a deep-lying forward role brought the best from him, and he was vital

as United won the league championships in 1965 and 1967.

Those successes flanked international glory with England. Shortly before the 1966 World Cup, Charlton was named Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year and European Footballer of the Year in quick succession. He went on to play a starring role as Alf Ramsey’s side won the tournament, scoring twice in the semi-final win over Portugal. Charlton went on to win 106 caps – three as captain - and is still England’s record goalscorer with 49 goals

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