---
title: "United’s best XI of the last 15 years"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2015/06/15/uniteds-best-xi-of-the-last-15-years/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Articles"
published: "2015-06-15T12:40:27Z"
modified: "2015-06-15T12:40:27Z"
---

# United’s best XI of the last 15 years

The last 15 years at Manchester United have been exciting, to say the least. Seven Premier League titles, an FA Cup, three League Cups and a Champions League title have been brought back to Old Trafford. We have seen the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, a tumultuous season under David Moyes, and the beginnings of a new era under Louis van Gaal.

During this period, we have seen great players grace the Theatre of Dreams, and top performances that have helped the Reds to success. Without further ado, here are my picks for United’s best eleven for the past 15 years, lining up in a 4-4-2 formation:

**GK – Edwin van der Sar (266 appearances, 2005-2011)**

Sir Alex Ferguson had failed to fill the sizeable gap left in goal after Peter Schmeichel’s departure from the club, with Mark Bosnich, Massimo Taibi, Raimond van der Gouw, Fabien Barthez, Tim Howard and Roy Carroll all failing to cement themselves as the number one shot stopper.

This all changed when van der Sar joined the Reds in June 2005 from Fulham for a reported £2 million fee, and Sir Alex had finally found a successor to Schmeichel. The Dutchman provided a reliable presence in goal, and numerous records were broken during his six-year spell at Old Trafford.

Van der Sar went 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal during the 2008/09 season, breaking a Premier League milestone. He also became the first non-British player to continue playing in England’s top flight after his 40th birthday, as well as the first goalkeeper to keep 50 clean sheets in the Champions League.

And who could ever forget Moscow 2008, the defining moment of van der Sar’s United career. Moments after John Terry’s slip, van der Sar palmed away Nicolas Anelka’s penalty to hand United their third European Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium. In total, van der Sar made 266 appearances for United before retirement in 2011, and despite bowing out with a Champions League final defeat against Barcelona, there can be no doubt that van der Sar has been United’s best goalkeeper of the last 15 years.

[![Kiyoshi Ota | Getty Images](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Neville-Ronaldo.png)](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Neville-Ronaldo.png)

**RB – Gary Neville (602 appearances, 1992-2011)**

The undisputed leader of this side, and possibly the greatest English right-back of all time. Solid defensively, with a superb positioning sense, as well as good going forward, Neville formed brilliant partnerships down the right flank during his career at United, firstly with David Beckham in the late 90s and early stages of the noughties, and then Cristiano Ronaldo during the latter part of the noughties.

With Roy Keane’s departure in November 2005, Neville was appointed club captain, finally receiving the role he was destined for ever since he joined the club as a schoolboy in 1991. Despite courting minor controversy when he celebrated Rio Ferdinand’s late winner in front of visiting Liverpool fans in January 2006, on a whole his captaincy was successful, winning two Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League, although he didn’t make the match matchday squad for that glorious night in Moscow.

However, by the late noughties, injuries had started to affect Neville. He never truly recovered from a broken ankle suffered in a game against Bolton in March 2007, which kept him out of the title-winning 2007-08 Premier League season. However, his strength of character meant that he wouldn’t give up his place without a fight, and despite Rafael, Wes Brown and John O’Shea providing stiff competition, he made a further 33 appearances for United before retiring in February 2011. No one has come close to taking on Neville’s mantle since.

**CB – Rio Ferdinand (455 appearances, 2002-14)**

One of the greatest English centre-backs of his generation, Ferdinand joined United in May 2003 from Leeds United for £29.1 million, making him the world’s most expensive defender at the time.  Making his mark with an elegant, continental style of defending, he immediately formed a solid partnership with Laurent Blanc in his first season, lifting the Premier League title at the first time of asking.

However, things took a turn for the worse, as Ferdinand missed a drugs test in September at Carrington, having forgotten about it. He returned to the training ground to have it done, but was told it was too late, resulting in bitter relations between the FA and United. Ferdinand received an eight-month ban for his troubles, missing out on the Reds’ 11th FA Cup victory and England’s Euro 2004 campaign.

Ferdinand came back from the ban a changed man, and his determination saw him make amends for lost time and become one of the best defenders in the world in his prime. Forming a memorable partnership with Nemanja Vidic, Ferdinand went on to lift five more Premier League titles and a Champions League, also finishing runner-up twice in said competition, before leaving Old Trafford on a free transfer to newly promoted Queens Park Rangers. Injuries may have affected his later years at United, but he remains one of the greatest centre backs to grace the Old Trafford turf.

**CB – Nemanja Vidic (300 appearances, 2006-14)**

The muscle to Rio Ferdinand’s brawn, Vidic joined United in a £7 million move from Russian club Spartak Moscow, and after an up and down first season at the club, soon became a defensive rock, known for his consistency, awareness, and bravery which earned him cult status among United fans at Old Trafford.

His partnership with Ferdinand was one of the main reasons behind United’s success in the mid-noughties, and together they won five Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League during Vidic’s time at the club. Vidic also won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year and Fans’s Player of the Year in the 2008-09 season, a just reward for his splendid defensive performances that season.

And who could forget all the duels Vidic had with Chelsea’s Didier Drogba during the noughties. Two of the most physical players to ever grace the Premier League going hammer and tongs with each other. The duels were a gladiatorial spectacle, culminating in Drogba taking a swipe at Vidic during the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow, earning him an early bath. Others were purely accidental – such as Drogba knocking out Vidic with his knee, but Vidic rose to the occasion every time and shrugged it off as if it was nothing.

However, all good things must come to an end. Vidic was slowly phased out during David Moyes’ solitary season at Old Trafford, and Vidic agreed to join Inter Milan on a free transfer last season. Even as he left the club, he remained an icon, and his partnership with Ferdinand is up there alongside Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister’s.**\**

[![Clive Mason | Getty Images](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Patrice-Evra-2.png)](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Patrice-Evra-2.png)

**LB – Patrice Evra (379 appearances, 2006-14)**

Joining United from Monaco for a fee of around £5.5 million, the Frenchman initially struggled to adapt to the English game, and Evra himself admitted that “playing for Manchester United was something I was not prepared for”. However, Evra rapidly developed into a key component of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, and turned into a fans’ favourite at Old Trafford.

During his time with the Reds, Evra managed to win five Premier League titles, three League Cups and was part of the team that clinched a third European Cup for United on a rainy night in Moscow. Bombing forward down the left flank, Evra provided countless assists as well as being a threat at set pieces, despite not being the tallest man ever. He also scored some absolute screamers, including one in his final season at the club against Bayern Munich in a Champions League quarter-final, giving United a glimmer of hope in sneaking through to the semis.

But what endeared him to United fans was his love of the club. When he first came to United, he revealed that he had studied the club’s past, getting a load of DVD’s about the story of the club, out of respect. He turned himself into a genuine red and took on the mantle of the emotional surrogate between the crowd and the team. He gave everything he had on the pitch, lifting the crowd and stirring the Old Trafford atmosphere.

He also provided invaluable experience in the dressing towards the latter part of his United career, and when he left for Juventus last season, it was seen a huge blow. He could have potentially been a mentor for Luke Shaw, who had just signed from Southampton. However, he proved that he is still a force, being in the Juve side that gave Barcelona a good fight in the Champions League final.

**RM – Cristiano Ronaldo (292 appearances, 2003-09)**

Ronaldo became United’s first ever Portuguese player, signing for £12.24 million from Sporting Lisbon before the 2003-04 season, after he had run rings around United during their pre-season friendly with Sporting. It would turn out to be one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s greatest signings, as he proceeded to turn into one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a football pitch, let alone the Theatre of Dreams.

He made his United debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4-0 home win against Bolton, producing a performance Ferguson hailed as “marvellous”. The talent was there from the get go, as Ronaldo would often play on the right wing as a classic winger, producing an array of feints and stepovers to beat defenders and going on mazy dribbling runs. However, at times he was criticised by Sir Alex for being selfish and overly flamboyant, and the British media accusing him of diving and crying victim.

However, he overcame all of those early struggles and over the next few seasons, Ronaldo developed into more of a team player and transformed into a physical monster, with his work-rate, strength and consistent finishing ability all being showcased on the left wing. He broke out in the 2006-07 season, crossing the 20 goal barrier for the first time and delivering 19 assists in all competitions.

The breakout season was what he needed, and over his six seasons at Old Trafford, he won three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and helped United to a third European Cup in Moscow, scoring the opening goal in the final against Chelsea before missing a penalty in the shootout. There remains a feeling that Ronaldo could have achieved so much more at United, if he hadn’t left for Real Madrid in 2008 for a world record fee of £80 million.

**CM – Michael Carrick (379 appearances, 2006-present)**

Perhaps the most unappreciated midfielder in English history, Carrick has been an integral part of the first team since joining United from Tottenham Hotspur for an initial fee for £14 million. Still at United, Carrick developed into the holding role that Roy Keane occupied for most of the 90s and early noughties, although he did in a completely different style.

Carrick goes about his game in a different manner, with his reading of the game helping him anticipate any threats from the opposition, covering space and making interceptions, unlike Keane, who was a throwback to the old-fashioned ball-winning midfielder, relying on physicality, aggression   and tackling ability to dominate the midfield.

Carrick’s distribution and passing range put him among Europe’s best exponents of the deep-lying playmaker role, alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Xavi, and this helps him to dictate the game and initiate attacks. Upon his arrival at United, he immediately struck up a fine partnership with Paul Scholes, with Carrick playing the holding role, while Scholes pulled the strings further forward.

Carrick’s arrival finally allowed Sir Alex Ferguson to transition to a more continental style of play, with a focus of keeping possession in contrast to the typical all-action English sides. Since Carrick’s arrival, he has won five Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League winner’s medal, as well as two runner-up medals from final defeats to Barcelona in 2009 and 2011.

However, many feel that Carrick has never got the recognition that he truly deserves, being overlooked by several England managers who favoured the all-action style that Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard brought to the Three Lions. Still, a host of Premier League titles and a Champions League medal is not bad for someone Sir Alex describes as the “best English player in the game”.

[![Alex Livesey | Getty Images](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Paul-Scholes-2.png)](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Paul-Scholes-2.png)

**CM – Paul Scholes (718 appearances, 1993-2011, 2012-13)**

One of the finest ever midfielders to ever grace the Theatre of Dreams, Scholes continued to contribute to the success that United started in the 1990s, winning a further seven Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Champions League medal, and all this despite retirement at the end of the 2010-11 season.

Scholes continued to display the abilities that had been prevalent throughout his career – great stamina, terrific vision and off the ball movement, although the criticisms about his tackling never went away. Despite retiring at the end of the 2010-11 season, he was good as ever once Sir Alex Ferguson called for his return in January 2012 due to an injury crisis in the squad, and helped United to a record twentieth title in the 2012-13 season.

His partnership with Michael Carrick was pivotal in United’s Champions League winning season, as they were solid as gold in the centre of midfield. As Carrick stayed in the holding role and did the simple stuff, Scholes was allowed freedom to dictate the tempo of games, go forward and contribute immensely to the European success, including scoring THAT incredible goal against Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford.

**LM – Ryan Giggs (963 appearances, 1990-2014)**

The flying Welshman continued to display incredible consistency into the noughties, as he helped United’s steady stream of success, winning a further seven Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups and a Champions League medal, all the while breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s long standing appearance record for United and finishing with a record 963 appearances for the Reds.

As Giggs aged, he redefined his style of play, whereas in his youth in the 90s and the early noughties he was a tricky winger playing down the left wing, beating midfielders at will and nailing pinpoint crosses into the box, by the end of his playing career he became a central midfielder, dictating play in the middle of the park, still showing signs of the class that was prevalent throughout his career.

Playing well into his fortieth birthday, Giggs was appointed player-coach in David Moyes’ solitary season at Old Trafford, and when Moyes was given the boot in April 2014, Giggs stepped up to the reigns as player-manager until the end of the season. He hung up his boots at the conclusion of the season, and became Louis van Gaal’s assistant manager.

Despite an illustrious career coming to an end, many predict that Giggs’ association will continue for some time yet, with the Welshman tipped to take over the reins once van Gaal leaves the club. He has the potential to become United’s Guardiola – a man who grew up the United way, eventually playing the United way and become the man charged with continuing the United way.

**ST – Wayne Rooney (479 appearances, 2004-present)**

Rooney has never looked back since joining United from Everton in the summer of 2004 for a fee of £25.6 million, then the highest-ever fee paid for a player under the age of 20. He certainly got himself off to a flying start, scoring a hat-trick on debut against Fenerbahce in a Champions League qualifier.

Rooney’s versatility in attack and his impressive work has led him to be deployed in a number of positions over the years, from a lone striker to the number 10 role supporting the man up top and in central midfield as a box-to-box midfielder under Sir Alex Ferguson and even as a defensive midfielder at times by Louis van Gaal this past season. However, that has not got in the way of Rooney scoring goals, as evidenced by 230 goals in all competitions in his career at United.

However, there have been numerous problems along the way. Rooney has handed in transfer requests twice during his time at United, firstly in 2010 when he had a dispute with Sir Alex over the extent of an ankle injury, but he made a dramatic U-turn and signed a five-year contract. At the end of Sir Alex’s reign at the club, he once again wanted a transfer away from the club, but the appointment of David Moyes saw an end to that and he signed another contract extension in February 2014 to keep him at Old Trafford until 2019.

The appointment of Louis van Gaal once again saw Rooney’s future come under a cloud, but van Gaal entrusted his faith in Rooney by appointing him club captain, and he repaid his manager’s faith by finishing top scorer this past season with 14 goals, and displayed signs of his maturity and leadership ability throughout the season.

[![Michael Regan | Getty Images](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Robin-van-Persie-6.png)](https://media.readmanutd.com/readmanutd/2015/06/Robin-van-Persie-6.png)

**ST – Robin van Persie (105 appearances, 2012-present)**

The signing of van Persie from rivals Arsenal for an initial fee of £22.5 million sent shockwaves throughout the Premier League, and would prove to be Sir Alex Ferguson’s final big signing. What a signing it turned out to be.

Despite worries about his injury record, he scored his first Premier League goal for United with his first shot for the club against Fulham at Old Trafford. After that, van Persie’s season took off, as he went on to score another 25 goals for the Reds in that 2012-13 season, securing a record twentieth Premier League title for United and allowing Sir Alex’s reign at the club to come to a fitting end. As recognition for his goalscoring efforts, United fans voted van Persie as the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year.

However, injuries have blighted van Persie since that title-winning season, as he has only managed to make a combined 48 Premier League appearances in the two seasons since, but the goals are still there, managing to get into double figures in both seasons. With United on the hunt for a new striker, van Persie may be reduced to the role of a squad player in the future, but his title-winning efforts will always place him in the annals of United history.