Morgan Schneiderlin will be the 11th Frenchman to pull on a United shirt following his arrival from Southampton. There previous 10 representatives have been a mixed bag and Schneiderlin will be hoping to make more of an impact than the likes of Gabriel Obertan, David Bellion and William Prunier managed to.
However, there have been some wonderful French players to have graced the United team and Schneiderlin will be hoping to enjoy the same incredible success. Here we pick the top five Frenchman to have worn the United jersey with such distinction.
#5 Fabien Barthez (2000-2004) (139 apps)
France international goalkeeper Fabien Barthez arrived at Manchester United as a World Cup winner and a European champion. Sir Alex Ferguson was hoping that he will would finally fill the void left by Peter Schmeichel, who had left the club a year earlier.
Whilst Barthez never quite lived up to the impossible task of replacing the Great Dane (United had to wait until 2005 for Edwin van der Sar to succeed Schmeichel), he provided plenty of entertainment. Granted his three year spell was wildly inconsistent, but Barthez also produced some terrific moments of goalkeeping.
Whether it was him attempting to fool Paolo Di Canio into thinking he was offside in the FA Cup at Old Trafford, swearing at Arsenal supporters or displaying an aptitude for mind games when it came to penalties, Fabien Barthez was truly an eccentric entertainer.
It would a great disservice to not mention that Barthez was also a pretty good goalkeeper. The save that sticks in the mind, and deserves to be what he is remembered by, was his outstanding stop against Liverpool at Anfield. It came when United were leading 2-1, courtesy of a certain Diego Forlan, when Barthez produced the most athletic and wonderful leaping one-handed save to deny Dietmar Hamann. He ended his time at United with two league titles and dozens of brilliant memories.
#4 Louis Saha (2004-2008) (124 apps, 42 goals)
You cannot help but wonder how good Louis Saha could have been had it not been for his constant battles with injuries. There is no doubting that Saha would have gone on to score more goals and play a more prominent role in the club’s great successes, during his four-year spell at Old Trafford.
The striker first came to the attention of the Manchester United supporters when he smashed home two goals for visiting Fulham on the opening day of the 2001/02 season. After scoring 15 goals in just 22 games in the first half on the 2003/04 campaign, Sir Alex moved to sign him, securing Saha in a £12.4 million move.
Saha’s career at United began brightly, he scored 7 goals in just 14 matches, but soon the injury crisis- the symbol of his time at the club- started. From then on, fitness concerns were to hinder his career and effectively seal his departure from the club in 2008.
His goal-scoring record at United is impressive and those who saw him will remember what a superb forward was. Saha was wonderfully balanced, possessed outrageous pace and power and in his feet he contained a lethal finish. On his first return to Craven Cottage, those attributes were combined to devastating effect, and he silenced the taunts from the home crowd with a terrific goal.
Perhaps most disappointing was that his injuries prevented us from seeing his partnership with Wayne Rooney fully blossom. Recent United forwards have always had their relationship on the pitch with Rooney assessed and often criticised. But Saha developed a real understanding with him and no striker since has enjoyed the same partnership with our captain.
#3 Mikael Silvestre (1999-2008) (361 apps, 10 goals)
Many players would have been daunted by joining and proving themselves in a side that had just achieved an unprecedented treble. But Mikael Silvestre did more than settle in quickly, he went on to enjoy a glorious nine-year stay at Old Trafford.
United have always had full backs who were dependable and reliable performers. Mikael Silvestre deserves a place among the finest defenders in the club’s great tradition along with the likes of Tony Dunne, Arthur Albiston and Denis Irwin.
Silvestre was not only a consistent player but also a versatile one. He formed a strong partnership in central defence with Wes Brown and latterly Rio Ferdinand. The arrivals of Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra in January 2006 made competition for places at the back fierce but Silvestre remained determined to keep his spot in the first team.
Whilst not the most spectacular of performers, he might not be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of United’s defensive stalwarts, but Mikael Silvestre was one of the most reliable players in the squad. He was one of the players that make up a trophy-winning side, the quiet, unassuming characters which provide the solidity and platform for the big names and stars to make the difference.
#2 Patrice Evra (2006-2014) (379 apps, 10 goals)
If Denis Irwin is considered the full back by which all future defenders are to be judged, then Patrice Evra was equally as important to the period of Manchester United’s greatest success.
You wouldn’t necessarily have guessed after his debut in the Manchester derby. Evra was removed from the action after forty-five minutes and was left wondering why he had joined the club from Monaco. When he departed for Juventus in 2014, Evra left United as a legend and a reputation as one of its greatest ever defenders.
Evra became the epitome of the modern full back, being as dangerous going forward as he was diligent in his defensive work. Arguably the greatest full back in the world at his peak, he endeared himself to supporters with his class and his passion. Any player who plays with such pride for the crest on their shirt deserve their place among the fan favourites.
A wonderfully consistent performer, Evra also deserves credit for the way he handled himself during the Suarez racism saga, something that he doesn’t get much credit for outside of Old Trafford. He was a brilliant player and his passion radiated on the terraces. Along with Vidic, Ferdinand and Gary Neville, Patrice Evra was a part of one of Manchester United’s greatest ever defences.
#1 Eric Cantona (1992-1997) (185 apps, 82 goals)
Could it be anyone else? Eric Cantona was the catalyst of the club’s greatest period of success, of the formation of the modern Manchester United.
Cantona was the final piece in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first glorious team. Before him they were a good side with some top players, once he’d arrived and settled they became a great team. He was that inspirational, that important to the club.
There are too many wonderful moments to mention here, Cantona seemed to produce several majestic pieces of skill nearly every game, and some of the goals he scored were beyond description.
Even his celebrations were inspiring! The site of him as a king surveying his kingdom, his reaction to scoring a goal wouldn’t have been out of place in a theatre. Cantona brought that kind of entertainment, something rarely seen on British soil, to Old Trafford.
On the playing side, Cantona was simply brilliant. Technique, touch, power, grace, and a daring courage to try something new, Eric had it all. He wasn’t only the greatest French player in United’s history, he was arguably the best player of any nationality to represent the club. King Eric was a unique player and we are lucky he played in the red of Manchester.
