When this Manchester United side look for the keys to rediscovering success, one important factor is longevity.
Four of Manchester United’s top six all-time highest appearance makers came in the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Success of course enhances a players’ prospects of being kept around, and yet, it takes a special player to keep on performing at a high level.
Sir Alex Ferguson was often ruthless, moving players on when he felt they had lost their appetite and hunger for success. Dwight Yorke was one who fell victim of this.
Below is a list of United’s top 21 appearance makers of all time.
11 of the top 20 played under Sir Alex, including Ryan Giggs, who is by considerable distance, United’s most capped player.
Current star David de Gea has just cracked the top 10, with a staggering 511 appearances for the club – and counting.
The goalkeeper signed for United in 2011 from Atletico Madrid and is currently looking to sign a new contract, BBC Sport report, which will give him a strong chance of rising high into this list, potentially even eventually pushing Gary Neville out of the top five.
Manchester United’s all-time appearance makers
- Ryan Giggs
963
- Sir Bobby Charlton
758
- Paul Scholes
718
- William Foulkes
688
- Gary Neville
602
- Wayne Rooney
559
- Alex Stepney
539
- Tony Dunne
535
- Denis Irwin
529
- David de Gea
519
- Joe Spence
510
- Arthur Albiston
485
- Roy Keane
480
- Brian McClair
471
- George Best
470
- Mark Hughes
467
- Michael Carrick
464
- Bryan Robson
461
- Martin Buchan
456
- Rio Ferdinand
455
- Jack Silcock
449
Sir Alex Ferguson’s key men contributed to his haul of 13 Premier League titles as a manager. And that was just the start.
Some came through the academy, like Giggs, Neville and Scholes, while others were signings, like Keane, Ferdinand, and Rooney.
Rooney used appearances very productively, becoming United’s highest ever goalscorer.
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