Football
Who Is the Greatest Manchester United Player Ever? A Ranking
Manchester United is one of the greatest football clubs to have existed in the world. The “Red Devils” have a rich history of a deep-rooted legacy that simply money can’t buy, coupled with sheer financial power that has seen the club top the charts among the most marketable football brands in the world. The club boasts the biggest club stadium in England, a trophy cabinet success that is only matched by their arch-rivals, Liverpool, and an influence and reach that stretches across the entire globe.
Wayne Rooney and Denis Law/Getty Images
In the entire 147 years of its existence, the club has built a lineage of world-class, iconic players and all-time managerial greats that have left countless iconic moments that have enabled the club to possess timeless iconic highlight reels.
When you think of Manchester United, iconic greats such as the horse-powered Wayne Rooney, the English great Sir Bobby Charlton, the mercurial George Best, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Denis Law, Jack Rowley, Dennis Viollet, Mark Hughes, and Joe Spence. These legendary figures have set themselves apart with years of sustained excellence for the club, although there are still all-time greats, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham, who also dominated while donning the famous red shirt.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate Manchester United's Greatest Legends
The SB Market Index combines a statistical analysis of players’ career stats for the club with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking of United's best-ever players.
Industry Insights
This curated analysis showcases the criteria used to determine how each player is featured in the prominent list of the “greatest Manchester United players of all time.”
| Source Name | Wayne Rooney | Bobby Charlton | Denis Law | Jack Rowley | Dennis Viollet | George Best | Joe Spence | Ryan Giggs | Mark Hughes |
Manchester United Official Site – "Legends" Profiles | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
ESPN – "Ranking Man Utd's 50 Greatest Players" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
FourFourTwo – "The 50 Greatest Man Utd Players Ever" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bleacher Report – "Ranking the 25 Best in History" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Goal.com – "Man Utd's All-Time XI" feature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The Guardian – "The Icons of Old Trafford" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
talkSPORT – "Top 10 Man Utd Legends" countdown | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Sportskeeda – "5 Greatest Man United Players" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
90min – "The 25 Greatest Players in Man Utd History" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Reddit r/reddevils – "All-Time Greats" Fan Polls | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
SB Score
| Player | Total Goals | Total Games | Goals per Game | SB Score |
| Dennis Viollet | 179 | 293 | 0.611 | 0.864 |
| Denis Law | 237 | 404 | 0.587 | 0.957 |
| Wayne Rooney | 253 | 559 | 0.452 | 0.955 |
| Jack Rowley | 211 | 424 | 0.498 | 0.814 |
| George Best | 179 | 470 | 0.381 | 0.722 |
| Mark Hughes | 163 | 467 | 0.349 | 0.658 |
| Bobby Charlton | 249 | 758 | 0.328 | 0.893 |
| Joe Spence | 168 | 510 | 0.329 | 0.672 |
| Paul Scholes | 155 | 718 | 0.216 | 0.673 |
| Ryan Giggs | 168 | 963 | 0.174 | 0.728 |
This score is calculated based on three key career metrics for Manchester United: Goals Per Game (40% weightage), Total Goals (30% weightage), and Total Appearances (30% weightage).
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Denis Law | 0.957 | 10 | 8.191 |
| 2 | Wayne Rooney | 0.955 | 10 | 8.191 |
| 3 | Bobby Charlton | 0.893 | 10 | 8.179 |
| 4 | George Best | 0.722 | 10 | 8.144 |
| 5 | Ryan Giggs | 0.728 | 10 | 8.146 |
| 6 | Paul Scholes | 0.673 | 10 | 8.135 |
| 7 | Dennis Viollet | 0.864 | 1 | 0.973 |
| 8 | Mark Hughes | 0.658 | 1 | 0.932 |
| 9 | Jack Rowley | 0.814 | 0 | 0.163 |
| 10 | Joe Spence | 0.672 | 0 | 0.134 |
The Kings of Old Trafford: An Unbreakable Top Tier
This section features a description of six players who have a dominant ‘Industry Insights’ score.
Denis Law
Denis Law spent 11 years at Old Trafford and scored 237 goals in 404 appearances, placing him third in United's history behind Wayne Rooney and Bobby Charlton. The man dubbed 'The King' and 'The Lawman' is the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d'Or while also being the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford; one on the Stretford End concourse, the other as part of the United Trinity statue overlooking the stadium’s forecourt where he’s immortalized alongside fellow great George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is a modern-day great who captivated football fans for more than 15 years. The former England international is Manchester United's all-time leading scorer and the only player to have scored 253 goals for the “Red Devils”. Rooney, also known as “Wazza,” won 16 trophies and became one of only two English players, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, League Cup, Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup
Bobby Charlton
Sir Bobby Charlton is the epitome of a “Manchester United” player. The Manchester United legend, who was a key figure in England's 1966 World Cup victory, scored 249 goals in 758 games to cement his status as one of British football's all-time greats. During a 17-year first-team career with United, he won three league titles, a European Cup, and an FA Cup while also scooping the Ballon d'Or in 1966.
George Best
George Best was arguably the world’s first true football superstar. The Northern Ireland international not only possessed prodigious football talent but also a charismatic personality and popstar looks that ensured his popularity went beyond football and into the world of mainstream entertainment. Few would argue that George Best was the most naturally gifted footballer Britain has produced. The United icon scored 179 goals in 470 appearances over 11 years and was the club's top goal scorer in the league for five consecutive seasons. He won two League titles, two Charity Shields, and the European Cup with the Red Devils.
Ryan Giggs
When you think of Giggs, longevity comes to mind as he has played at the highest level for every decade since his debut. Ryan Giggs is a one-club winger who became English football’s most decorated player over the course of a 23-year career with Manchester United. The Welsh Wizard was a dazzling dribbler who boasted electrifying pace and football IQ, which was essential in the latter stages of his career. Giggs is United’s record appearance holder (963) and has won a total of 34 club titles in his glittering career.
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes was the best conductor to have ever donned the famous Manchester United shirt. He is known for exemplary technique, superb passing skills, and ferocious long-range shooting. His football intelligence was otherworldly, with some of the best midfielders revering him as the best to have ever done it from the midfield position, a far cry considering he was so often underrated. Scholes, also known as the “Ginjer Prince,” accumulated 25 trophies for Manchester United in his 19 seasons.
The Prolific Strikers: Law, Rooney, and Viollet
From the SB Score column, we can derive that Denis Law was the best, followed by Wayne Rooney, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Viollet, and Jack Rowley.
Denis Law was immortalized with a statue for a reason. The “King” scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for the club, a goal ratio of 0.587, but that pales in comparison to Dennis Viollet, who scored 179 goals in 293 appearances to tally a goal ratio of 0.611. However, Law leads the SB Score charts, tallying 0.957, with Viollet coming in at fourth, registering 0.864.
Wayne Rooney comes in at second with an SB Score of 0.955 as he is the Club’s All-Time leading scorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances and a goal ratio of 0.452 goals per game. Bobby Charton, who is third on the SB Score chart with 0.893, scored 249 goals in 758 appearances, accumulating a goal ratio of 0.328 per game. Jack Rowley rounds up the top five with an SB Score of 0.814 as he scored 211 goals in 424 appearances, averaging a goal ratio of 0.498 goals per game.
The Holy Trinity and Class of '92: Enduring Legacies
The “Holy Trinity”
The Manchester United “Holy Trinity” refers to the legendary trio of George Best, Denis Law, and Sir Bobby Charlton. This iconic triumvirate was instrumental in Manchester United becoming the first English club to win the European Cup, currently rebranded as the “Champions League” in 1968, and is immortalized with a statue at Old Trafford, the club's home ground. The trio laid the foundations of success for future United teams and is responsible for turning United into a dominant force in English football. Their dominance in the 1960s is impressive, as it inspired the team’s resurgence after the 1958 Munich air disaster, which resulted in the death of Manchester United, known as the Busy Babes,” along with supporters and journalists.
The “Class of 92”
The Class of ‘92 refers to the group of talented Manchester United youth academy players who went on to form the core of the club’s dominant dynasty in the 1990s and 2000’s with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes spending their entire careers with the Club. They were part of the FA Youth Cup-winning team in 1992 and also included David Beckham, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, and Nicky Butt. What made their rise even more inspiring is that they ushered in a new era with the rebranding of the first division into the English Premier League in 1992. This brought about new global attention and marketing ability. This class formed the backbone of the popularity with their rise to superstardom, inspiring a generation of footballers and fans.
Conclusion on Manchester United's Pantheon of Greats
Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world because of these Legends, and many more that were not able to make our comparative analysis. Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, and George Best put the club on the global map with a blend of talent, skill, charisma, and leadership. The trio is inseparable as their greatness is intertwined. Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs ushered in the most dominant dynasty in English football as their trophy haul testifies. They were grounded and epitomized discipline, level-headedness, and commitment that resulted in long, dominant careers. Wayne Rooney, on the other hand exemplifies superstardom. He was a consistent force for United in modern football, and his unorthodox blend of skill, aggression, endurance, and eye for goal was amplified by the evolution of technology as console games, cable TV, and the internet made him one of the global superstars. To separate these legends and choose the best is nearly impossible, as their influence shines and is a testament to the incredible depth of legendary talent that has graced Manchester United throughout its history.
Ian Mugo Wanyeki is based in Nairobi, Kenya. He is a sports enthusiast with vast knowledge of different sport disciplines. Ian is a graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Kenyatta University. He is a Kenyan journalist who’s worked as a sports analyst at Covenant Television Network, as a sports reporter at NTV and as a Sports Correspondent/contributor at Quartz Africa.