Ranking the 5 best Manchester United attackers of the 21st century

Manchester United have been one of the most successful English clubs since the turn of the century, winning eight Premier League titles.

Considering the pedigree and rich history of the club, some of the best attackers in the game's history have graced United over the years. The trend has continued this century, too, with various world-class attackers playing key roles in the club's success.

On that note, here are the five best attackers to have played for Manchester United since the turn of the century. Without further ado, let's get started:

Note: All stats as per transfermarkt unless specified otherwise.

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#5 Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs is a Manchester United legend.

Ryan Giggs is one of the most legendary players in Manchester United history. During a two-decade-long career for the Red Devils, Giggs amassed record tallies of appearances (940) and trophies (35) for the club.

The versatile Welshman finds mention on this list because he spent a decent chunk of his United career playing in the attacking third, especially as a winger. It was only towards the latter stages of his career that he dropped to midfield.

Giggs is one of the finest examples of a true one-club man in football history. He scored 164 times and provided a staggering 250 assists across competitions for United.

Among many records, Giggs is the only player to net in each of the first 21 editions of the Premier League. He also holds the record for highest number of assists (162) in the Premier League. He failed to score in his final league campaign in 2013-14, but did provide two assists.

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#4 Robin van Persie

Robin van Persie enjoyed a successful stint at Manchester United.

Robin van Persie played only three seasons at Manchester United, but he did enough to etch his name in the club's folklore.

The Dutchman, arriving from Arsenal, hit the ground running at Old Trafford. He scored 30 times across competitions, 26 of them in the Premier League, to win the league's Golden Boot award. It was his incredible volley that sealed United's 13th and most recent league title in the Premier League era.

Van Persie bagged a rich haul of 58 goals and 21 strikes across competitions for United. He scored at least ten times in each of his three seasons at the club.

#3 Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy was a goal machine.

Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the most prolific attackers in Manchester United's history. The Dutchman was a lethal goal machine, racking up exactly 150 strikes across competitions in just over 200 games for United.

Despite his prolific exploits, Van Nistelrooy won just one Premier League title at the club. He scored 25 times in United's triumphant 2002-03 campaign to win his lone Premier League Golden Boot.

Barring an injury-plagued 2003-04 campaign, where he scored only 16 times, Van Nistelrooy netted at least 30 times in each of his five seasons at United.

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#2 Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was a lethal goalscorer for Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney made a blistering start to his Manchester United career, scoring a hat-trick on his club debut against Fenerbahce in the Champions League. Still a teenager at the time, Rooney made Old Trafford sit up and take notice of his goalscoring prowess.

To his credit, Rooney proved that he was no flash in the pan. Over the next decade, the Englishman would score 250 more times in over 550 games across competitions to become United's record goalscorer.

Rooney scored a number of fabulous goals for United and also conjured almost 150 assists to endear himself to the Old Trafford faithful. The 35-year-old eight times in what turned out to be his final season at United in 2016-17.

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#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo first made his name at Manchester United.

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the best attacker to have played for Manchester United since the turn of the century.

The 36-year-old first arrived at Old Trafford as a precocious teenager almost two decades ago, making heads turn with his prowess on the ball. Under the able tutelage of a certain Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo blossomed into a world-class attacker, one of the best in the game's history.

In six glorious seasons in his first stint at the club, Ronaldo scored over 100 goals, winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League title. It was at United that Ronaldo won his first Ballon d'Or award (in 2008).

Ronaldo has made a flying start this season on his return to United for the first time in more than a decade. He has scored five times in only seven games across competitions.