Sir Alex Ferguson managed an array of Manchester United legends – but who scored the most goals under him?
The Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United was historic, with the legendary Scotsman managing exactly 1,500 games between 1986 and 2013.
Ferguson was constantly rebuilding the team to rise to the next challenge and continue his reign of dominance, and United have missed him badly since his retirement.
United scored a staggering 2,769 goals under Ferguson, and we have broken down the top scorers during his incredible reign.
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Top scorer: Wayne Rooney
The highest scoring player during the Sir Alex Ferguson era was Wayne Rooney, who netted 197 goals under the great manager.
Rooney eventually scored 253 goals, netting his final 56 under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.
Ferguson made a prediction that Rooney would become a club legend when he signed him in 2004 from Everton, and he was happy to be proven correct.
The second highest scorer under Ferguson was not a striker, it was winger-turned-midfielder Ryan Giggs.
Giggs is United’s record appearance maker with 963 in total. 941 of these were played under Ferguson, and he netted 168 goals during these games.
Paul Scholes followed with 155 goals for United, all scored under Ferguson. It is quite incredible that two academy graduates make up the top three.
Ruud van Nistelrooy ranked fourth with 150 goals for the club, and it was one of Ferguson’s earliest signings in fifth, Brian McClair with 127 goals.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Andy Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mark Hughes and Eric Cantona make up the top 10.
| # | Player | Goals | Matches | Goals per Game | Top Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne Rooney | 197 | 402 | 0.490 | 34 (2011/12) |
| 2 | Ryan Giggs | 168 | 941 | 0.178 | 17 (1993/94) |
| 3 | Paul Scholes | 155 | 716 | 0.216 | 20 (2002/03) |
| 4 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 150 | 219 | 0.685 | 44 (2002/03) |
| 5 | Brian McClair | 127 | 471 | 0.269 | 31 (1987/88) |
| 6 | Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 126 | 366 | 0.344 | 18 (1996/97) |
| 7 | Andy Cole | 121 | 275 | 0.440 | 25 (1995/96) |
| 8 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 118 | 292 | 0.404 | 42 (2007/08) |
| 9 | Mark Hughes | 116 | 353 | 0.328 | 21 (1990/91) |
| 10 | Eric Cantona | 82 | 182 | 0.450 | 25 (1993/94) |
Sir Alex Ferguson won TWO Champions League titles in 1999 and 2008, but had several near-misses…
… which Champions League run under Fergie was the ONE THAT GOT AWAY for you?
Best goals per game: Ruud van Nistelrooy
Wayne Rooney scored the most goals for United, but he only ranked third in terms of goals per game.
The most prolific scorer by this measure was Ruud van Nistelrooy, who struck 150 goals in just 219 matches for the club.
Robin van Persie ranked second, with a smaller sample size under Ferguson. His 30 goals came in just one season, in which he played 48 games.
Rooney was third and Eric Cantona fourth, followed by Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ranked seven to 10.
| # | Player | Goals per Game | Goals | Matches | Era |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 0.685 | 150 | 219 | 2001–2006 |
| 2 | Robin van Persie | 0.625 | 30 | 48 | 2012–2013 |
| 3 | Wayne Rooney | 0.490 | 197 | 402 | 2004–2013 |
| 4 | Eric Cantona | 0.451 | 82 | 182 | 1992–1997 |
| 5 | Andy Cole | 0.440 | 121 | 275 | 1995–2001 |
| 6 | Dwight Yorke | 0.428 | 65 | 152 | 1998–2002 |
| 7 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 0.404 | 118 | 292 | 2003–2009 |
| 8 | Dimitar Berbatov | 0.376 | 56 | 149 | 2008–2012 |
| 9 | Javier Hernández | 0.352 | 50 | 142 | 2010–2013 |
| 10 | Ole Gunnar Solskjær | 0.344 | 126 | 366 | 1996–2007 |
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