10 best players who have played under Sir Alex Ferguson

No single person or entity quite personifies the swagger, arrogance and confidence of Manchester United as Sir Alex Ferguson does.

In 1986, he inherited a struggling team languishing in the relegation zone and built a footballing empire unlike any other.

Winning a few Premier League titles is impressive, but this man won 13 in 26 years. Sir Alex's reign in Manchester signalled a period of dominance in English football that will probably never be matched by any other team or coach.

It's hard to pick out only 10 players out of the hundreds that have played under him. You do not achieve the success that Sir Alex did without having some pretty legendary players to help him along.

Whether it was youth players or new signings, the Scot never had a lack of talent to call upon when needed.

It is hard to leave out the likes of Vidic, van der Saar, van Nistelrooy, and the Neville twins, but such is the incredible array of talent that Ferguson accumulated over his 26-year tenure.

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#10 Rio Ferdinand

Ten years after United poached a certain French forward from Leeds, they signed their mercurial centre-back Rio Ferdinand for £30 million, making him the most expensive defender in history.

And while critics and rival fans criticised his rather steep transfer fee, Rio went about his job with a no-nonsense approach that came to signify his legendary partnership at the back with Nemanja Vidic.

Currently a BT Sport pundit, Ferdinand was amazingly consistent in his 12 seasons at Old Trafford, amassing 455 appearances, and cementing his place as one of the greatest defenders to have worn the famous red shirt.

He collected 13 trophies during his time at United, including 6 Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008, which he capped off by captaining his side to a memorable win over Chelsea in Moscow.

With 81 caps for England, he has the second most number of appearances as a defender for the national team, second only to Ashley Cole.

In 2004, an eight-month drug ban threatened to derail his entire career, but to his credit, he came back stronger and made 37 appearances for United in the 2005/06 season, helping them finish 2nd in the league.

#9 Peter Schmeichel

Schmeichel led Denmark to an incredible campaign during the '92 Euros

"The Great Dane" is probably one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, let alone of Manchester United.

United have been blessed with some pretty incredible goalkeepers in the Premier League era, but it is a testament to Schmeichel's incredible abilities that he's considered the uncontested number 1 ahead of van der Saar and de Gea.

When Sir Alex signed him from Brøndby in 1991 for £505,000, he described it as "bargain of the century", and he wasn't very far off. Good goalkeepers are worth a dime a dozen these days, and Schmeichel is much better than just "good".

In the 92/93 season, he kept 22 clean sheets en route to United's first league title for 26 years.

For eight seasons between 1991 and 1999, he made 398 appearances for United in all competitions, winning 5 Premier League titles and the Champions League in 1999, which was part of the treble that made United the first English club to achieve that particular milestone.

In 1992, he helped Denmark forge one of the biggest underdog stories in football, as they won Euros after having entered the tournament only because of Yugoslavia's civil war.

In the year 2001, Schmeichel was voted the best goalkeeper of all time in a poll conducted by Reuters, ahead of the likes of Gordon Banks and Lev Yashin.

#8 Wayne Rooney

Rooney celebrates scoring against arch-rivals Liverpool

Manchester United and England's all-time top goalscorer. There was no way Wazza was going to be left out of this list.

Having emerged from the city that is home to their biggest rivals, United signed him for £25.6 million from Everton in 2004, snagging him from under the noses of Newcastle, and making him the world's most expensive teenager in the process.

He scored a hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce, and that was a sign of things to come. In the coming years, he would go on to forge formidable strike partnerships with Ronaldo, Tevez, Berbatov and van Persie.

In spite of being overshadowed for a large part of his career at Old Trafford, his legendary status in the Theatre of Dreams is forever cemented thanks to his extensive contributions to United's domination of the Premier League in the late 2000's.

His decline in recent years, especially after the retirement of Sir Alex, was painful to watch, but his perseverance has seen him eclipse Sir Bobby Charlton to become United and England's all time top goalscorer.

He's scored some memorable goals for the club, and the obvious one that comes to mind is his spectacular bicycle kick against City, which would later be instrumental in deciding the title in United's favour.

His move to Everton was met with divided opinions, as was his decision to retire from England national duty at the age of 31. But for every United fan who was lucky enough to watch him tormenting defences at his peak, he will always be a club legend.

#7 David Beckham

Beckham made his breakthrough at Old Trafford as a 19-year-old

A graduate of the glorious Class of '92, Beckham was possibly the best dead ball specialist in the world in his playing days.

When he scored a goal directly from a corner kick as a 19-year-old on loan for Preston North End, Sir Alex knew the lad was special. After being recalled in 1995, he made four league appearances for United that season.

Starting from the subsequent season, he was ever-present in the United squad, making at least 30 appearances each season before he left for Madrid in 2003.

He won 13 major trophies at the club, and perhaps the only blight on his near-impeccable record is his falling-out with Sir Alex.

Ferguson said in a 2007 interview that once he became a celebrity outside the footballing world, his playing career took a backseat.

But that still doesn't take away the fact that he was still one of the best players to have played under the Scot.

He provided a few memorable and spectacular moments in the United shirt, the most notable one being his thunderous strike from the halfway line against Wimbledon.

He is also the only player in the club's history to have worn both the number 10 and the number 7 shirts.

His subsequent moves away from United took him to Spain, Los Angeles, Milan and finally Paris. He also has 115 caps for England and captained the national side for six years.

#6 Bryan Robson

Robson in action against Barcelona

Manchester United's "Captain Marvel" was already an established legend when Sir Alex arrived in '86.

In October 1981, new manager Ron Atkinson made Robson one of his first signings at the club by breaking the British transfer record, shelling out £1.5 million for the then 24-year-old.

Although he did win 2 FA Cups under Atkinson, his first major trophy came in the form of two successive league titles in 1993 and 1994, although by that time he was no longer first choice under Ferguson.

He was the last player before the Premier League era to wear the prestigious number 7, and even though he didn't play for Sir Alex as long as some of the other players on this list, he remains one of the greatest players ever coached by him.

In 1990, he led United to an FA Cup, beating Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final. In the process, he became the first United captain to lift the trophy three times.

By the time the Premier League era rolled in though, he subsided to a secondary role in midfield, having lost his place to Paul Ince, Brian McClair and Mick Phelan.

After over 450 appearances and 99 goals, he signed for Middlesborough in 1994 in a player-manager role.

#5 Roy Keane

Roy Keane was one of the most passionate players to have represented United

Keane was another player who broke the British transfer record when Sir Alex signed him for United from Nottingham Forest for £3.75 million.

Thanks to an injury-ridden end to Bryan Robson's United career, Ferguson gave Keane a run in the first team, and the Irishman duly repaid his faith by scoring twice on his home debut.

Currently the assistant coach for Ireland, Keane brought an aggressive, combative approach to the Red Devils' midfield, playing a key role in their historic treble, even though he was suspended for the Champions League final against Bayern.

He played a starring role in the comeback victory against Juventus in the semis, and it was probably his best ever performance in the red shirt.

In 1997, he took over the captaincy from Eric Cantona. For all his outrageous talent and leadership abilities on the pitch, his career at United was mired in controversies.

In a Manchester derby in 2001, Keane admitted to having intentionally fouled Alf-Inge Håland with a knee-high challenge, an incident for which he was later banned for five matches.

He then had a bust-up with Sir Alex after criticising the quality of the squad during a pre-season training camp in Portugal. This was also thought to be the reason behind his unexpected departure in 2005.

In spite of being very vocal off the pitch, Roy Keane will always be one of the best midfielders that Manchester United have ever had. To this day, the Red Devils have never truly found a replacement for his quality.

#4 Paul Scholes

Scholes came out of retirement to help United win their 20th league title in 2013

The ginger-haired genius came through the youth ranks at Old Trafford and joined the senior squad in 1993 after graduating along with the Class of '92.

Scholes was actually among the last of his fellow graduates to make it to the first team, but there's no doubt that he's one of the best.

In a career spanning 20 glorious seasons, he made over 700 appearances for his boyhood club, winning 25 major honours.

It wasn't until the 1995/96 season that he established himself as a first team player, making 17 appearances. He was ever-present in the United setup in the late 90's and early 2000's, making himself indispensable for Sir Alex with his incredible passing abilities.

The highlights of his game are his vision, passing range, tactical intelligence and long-range shooting. He doesn't shy away from tackles either. In fact, he was suspended for the 1999 Champions League final along with midfield partner Keane.

More recent fans of the Red Devils will perhaps best remember him for coming out of retirement in the 2012/13 season, buying a pair of boots for £40 at the local store, and finishing his first match against Manchester City with a 97% pass accuracy.

As far as England is concerned, he was utilised more as a wide left player. Former England boss Sven-Göran Eriksson has often been criticised for not fielding a midfield trio of Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes, and thus using their playmaking abilities to the full extent.

Paul Scholes is not just one of the midfielders to have played under Sir Alex, but possibly one of the all-time greats of the Premier League.

#3 Eric Cantona

The King of Manchester is probably one of the best players to have worn United's number 7

King Eric is probably best known for his kung fu kick on a Crystal Palace fan in 1995, but there was so much more that brought to the pitch.

Widely regarded as one of the best French forwards of all time, he signed for United from Leeds in 1992 for £1.2 million. Although he spent only 5 seasons at Old Trafford, his aggression and passion quickly came to signify Ferguson's reign in Manchester.

Cantona was a unique combination of strength, power, pace and technical brilliance. Sir Alex paired him with Mark Hughes after he arrived, and he almost single-handedly carried them to the Scot's first league title at Old Trafford.

In the '96 FA Cup final against fierce rivals Liverpool, his goal in the dying minutes of the game helped United record a 1-0 victory, as Cantona (who was stand-in captain for Steve Bruce), became the first player outside of Britain and Ireland to win the tournament as a captain.

After Bruce left in 1996, he was named club captain. His 11 league goals in 36 appearances helped them retain the title, but in a move that shocked the entire footballing world, he announced his retirement from football at the age of just 30.

His short-lived career also meant that he had only 45 caps for France, but a combination of his incredible talents and his constant dallying with controversy meant that he was one of the inaugural inductees of the English Football Hall of Fame.

Like Robson, Cantona's playing career under Ferguson was short-lived, but he's still undoubtedly one of the very best.

#2 Ryan Giggs

Giggsy managed United for four matches following Moyes' sacking in 2014

Not many fans would know that Ryan Giggs spent a few years at Manchester City between 1985 and 1987, but Giggsy is as red-blooded as they get at the United academy.

Yet another member of the Class of '92, he was among the first of his peers to appear for the first team. He scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win over City in his first full league start in May 1990.

Blessed with blistering pace, dribbling and passing abilities, Giggs solved a major left-wing headache for Sir Alex despite only being a teenager.

He's provided quite a few memorable moments for the Old Trafford faithful, including that marauding run and finish from the halfway line against Arsenal in the 1999 FA Cup semifinal.

He is also United's record appearance maker, with 963 appearances across 24 seasons.

In a 1-1 draw against Benfica in 2011, he also broke a couple of unique records: he became the oldest goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League at 37 years and 289 days, and also became the first player to have scored in 16 different Champions League campaigns.

As he lost his pace in his 30's, Giggs gradually adapted his game to suit a more central role. By the time he eventually retired, he had moved into a deep playmaking position, using his vision and passing range to create chances.

With 13 Premier League titles, he also holds the record for the most number of league titles won by an individual player. It also means that he has been involved in each title win in Sir Alex Ferguson's reign.

With 64 caps for the Welsh national team, he is arguably the greatest player to have represented them.

Following the sacking of David Moyes in April 2014, Giggs was named interim manager. United had already crashed out of the Champions League by then, and he managed four games at Old Trafford, recording two wins, a draw and a defeat.

He was subsequently appointed Louis van Gaal's assistant after the Dutchman was appointed following the 2014 World Cup.

Giggs might not have been the most naturally talented player to have been coached by Ferguson, but his commitment to the club and his extraordinary achievements merit a mention on this list.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo celebrates his goal against Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final

When a skinny 18-year-old Portuguese winger hung the United defence out to dry during a friendly against Sporting CP, Sir Alex was convinced that he had to sign the lad for the Red Devils.

At that point of time in the summer of 2003, Ronaldo became the most expensive teenager in English football when he signed on for £12.24 million.

Inheriting the prestigious number 7 from Beckham, he was instrumental in the six seasons he spent at the club, gradually developing from a tall, wiry teenager into one of the most fearsome left-wingers in Europe.

He was inducted into the first team squad straight away, with his quick legs, crossing and dead ball abilities quickly turning him into one of the best goalscorers in England.

Recognising his potential, René Meulensteen began personally training him to become more unpredictable and to develop a poacher's instinct in front of goal.

His goal from 40 yards against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-finals epitomised everything that he came to signify during his time at Old Trafford - arrogant, outrageous and sensational.

The 2007/08 season was his personal best in England, as he scored 31 times in the Premier League to pick up the Golden Boot. That particular record is also the most number of goals scored by an individual during a 38 game Premier League season (shared with Alan Shearer), which is particularly impressive considering that Ronaldo was still playing as a winger at that point of time.

He scored 42 goals in all competitions that season, including a first-half goal against Chelsea in the Champions League final, which ended with him lifting his first major continental trophy.

That incredible goalscoring record, along with the Ballon d'Or that accompanied it, signified his eventual ascension to global domination along with Leo Messi.

His final season was not nearly as personally successful as his penultimate one, although 18 league goals is by no means an ordinary achievement. He did, however, help his team seal a third consecutive league title before earning a world record move to Madrid.

While Ronaldo might be known best for his incredible accomplishments in the Spanish capital, it was Sir Alex who had enough faith in him as a teenager to hand him a huge role in his evolving squad at Old Trafford, moulding and shaping him into the player that he is today.