Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson's Ultimate Manchester United XI

By Jack Prescott, Rugby Editor | 05 November 2011

To mark Sir Alex Ferguson's 25 years in charge of Manchester United, Sports Mole has put together the Scot's greatest 11 players from his Old Trafford reign.

This weekend marks Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th year in charge of Manchester United.

Since he took over from Ron Atkinson in 1986, the Scot has had some of world football's finest players at his disposal.

To commemorate Sir Alex's 25 years at the helm of United, Sports Mole has put together the greatest 11 players from his Old Trafford reign.

Peter Schmeichel: A £560,000 signing from Brondby, the Great Dane was arguably the cornerstone on which United built their success in the 1990s. A huge presence at the back, his clean sheets were as valuable as the goals at the other end.

Gary Neville: The sort of player who would take a bullet for the team, Neville's link-up play with David Beckham on the right provided the strikers with a host of opportunities in front of goal. When he defended he was relentlessly dogged.
Rio Ferdinand: Despite recent criticisms, Ferdinand's calmness on the ball is in stark contrast to Nemanja Vidic's clattering heroics. Probably the only centre-half who would do a Cruyff Turn in his own six-yard box.
Jaap Stam: Quick, powerful, unflustered, the Dutchman didn't win the treble in his first season at Old Trafford for nothing. Unfortunately, revelations in his autobiography about the nature of his transfer to United saw him shipped off to Lazio by a furious Ferguson.
Denis Irwin: The quiet Irishman was as reliable as they came. Determined all over the pitch, he was often an integral part of the team's most flowing attacking moves. He could knock them in from set pieces, too.

David Beckham: Despite extra-curricular interest around the midfielder, Beckham's work-rate often went unnoticed. What he will be remembered for, however, were his crosses which elevated many strikers to the higher reaches of the goal-scoring charts.
Paul Scholes: As clever a midfielder that has graced English football, Scholes possessed a natural talent that only comes around every so often. When he wasn't mistiming tackles, he was playing sneaky passes around the corner or thumping the ball into the net from 25-yards.
Roy Keane: Pinched from under the noses of Blackburn Rovers, Keane's sheer force of will helped the side win a glut of honours in the 1990s and beyond. There were a few occasions in which his ferocious temper let the side down, but he was also responsible for single-handedly giving the team a fillip when it needed it most.
Ryan Giggs: From wing wizard to wily old fox, Giggs has been a glorious constant throughout the Premier League. He may have lost his pace in recent years, but his scandalously-adept technique still makes him one of the most enjoyable players to watch.

Cristiano Ronaldo: After he was urged by his own players, Ferguson brought the raw 18-year-old to Old Trafford. Too clever for his own good at first, Ronaldo licked his game into shape to become one of the most devastating players that has played in the Premier League.
Eric Cantona: Arguably the club's most iconic player of the last 25 years, Cantona's flair was matched only by his unpredictability. A scorer of vital goals, it is a mark of his importance that Ferguson flew to France to try and talk him out of retirement in 1997. It didn't work.