One of England’s biggest clubs, Manchester United know a thing or two about legendary and iconic players. Here are five of the finest players to ever pull on the famous red shirt.
Bobby Charlton
Sir Bobby Charlton’s contribution to Manchester United can in no way be underestimated. Indeed, what he achieved in an England shirt would have been enough for most careers. For the best part of 60 years, Charlton was England’s highest goal scorer, recently being over taken by Wayne Rooney. The numbers, then, are a good place to begin with if you wish to examine the extraordinary career of Sir Bobby. He made his debut as a teenager in 1956, and went on to score a club-record 249 goals. He manged to bag these in 758 games, which is a very decent return for a midfielder. By the time Charlton left the club in 1973 – his last game was against Charlton Athletic suitably enough – the legendary forward player had amassed some three league titles, one FA Cup, and a European Cup, having lead the team out as the captain in the final against Benfica in 1968. His presence looms large at Old Trafford where he is a club director and the only one on the board who has his own stand named in his honour, such is his revered status at the club.
Eric Cantona
Volatile Frenchman, Cantona, famously launched himself feet first in the Selhurst Park crowd in a bad-tempered match against Crystal Palace in 1995 and ended up serving a nine-month ban as a consequence. United fans loved him all the same as he had, and would continue to be the figure head in their nineties rejuvenation following 25 years spent in the wilderness without winning a title. The 1993 season under Alex Ferguson finally saw them get the monkey off their back and sparked a period of success for United that lasted until Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Nobody embodied the return to winning ways more than Cantona who, despite regularly finding himself on being punished for an uncontrollable temper, lead the side to successive title wins.
Legendary players like Eric Cantona always contribute to an increase in sports betting on certain matches. It has never been easier to place a bet on a football match with online betting making it possible to sit at home and place a wager on the match while watching it live on TV, even after kick off. In general, online betting as well as favoured classic casino games like roulette, have been booming this past decade because it is fun and convenient.
Duncan Edwards
Poor tragic Duncan Edwards was well on his way to becoming one of England and Manchester’s finest ever players had it not been for the horrific Munich plane crash that he sadly didn’t survive. It is, of course, impossible to put a career that never really got going into context but, such as his short-lived legend, that even having his life cut short couldn’t tarnish the memory of one the naturally talented footballers the game has ever seen. Sir Bobby Charlton, above, was one of the few who saw him in his heyday and has no doubt that Edwards’ skill remains unmatched, on these shores at least. Charlton, for the record, says Edwards is the best footballer he ever saw, and he played against Pele. Charlton’s assessment is far from isolated, as anyone fortunate enough to see the young Edwards play declares much the same thing and his cruel death remains a horrible loss to club and country.
George Best
Our George was part of the swinging sixties scene that enveloped English life at the time. Often referred to as the fifth Beatle, Best was talent and then some. True, in his later years, he became more famous for his drinking and womanising but, on the football pitch, is still considered to be the best British born player there has ever been. He had a presence to match and became an intoxicating figure and a true legend, not just of the club, but of the game itself. The original footballing superstar, Best was born in Belfast and was a winger of such sheer genius, he managed to bag himself 179 goals from 470 United appearances but, thanks to his extravagant lifestyle, and died aged 59 after a long battle with alcoholism in November 2005.
Ryan Giggs
United’s most capped player, Wales’ own Ryan Giggs broke into the team as a 17-year-old when Alex Ferguson gave him the opportunity in 1991 and remained on the club’s staff until earlier this year. Seemingly, forever young the Welsh winger hung up his boots at the end of the 2013-14 season and left as the most decorated player in Manchester United’s history. Immediately, Giggs joined the staff of Louis van Gaal and continued at the club until the appointment of Jose Mourinho in the summer of ’16. In 1999, he scored one the FA Cups all-time greatest goals against Arsenal, as the team went on to win that year’s trophy. He also has winner’s medals for the League Cup, Champions League and Premier League, not a bad career then?