2013 Year in Review: Top 5 Manchester United players

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2013 was a memorable year for Manchester United for a number of reasons. In May, United’s legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson left the club after serving the Old Trafford based side for over 26 years. Ferguson managed to guide the Red Devils to their 20th league title this year after losing out to city rivals Manchester City in 2012.

Here, we look at the top five players for Manchester United this calender year:

5. Rafael

It is not often that a defender makes it into a list of top five players of any calendar year. And it perhaps even more surprising that at a club like Manchester United, which is renowned for its attacking football that a defender is one of their best players of the year. But, the fact is, although Rafael is a defender by trade, he is a Brazilian by birth and the past 12 months has seen the right back show the world that he is, without a doubt, one of the finest fullbacks at the moment.

At the start of last season, not only did Rafael sign a new contract, he was also given the number 2 shirt, previously worn but England’s finest fullback of his generation,Gary Neville. And ever since then, Rafael has shown that he has what it takes to perhaps become even better than the Englishman.

Rafael was never short on talent, but what he lacked was the temperament to cut it at the biggest stage and in the last year, he has put his foot down and made the right back spot his own. He has been more disciplined at the back and that coupled with his overlapping runs from right back has meant, that the right flank has been one of United’s most productive attacking areas.

This season, although he was out injured initially, his return has seen a marked improvement in Valencia’s form and the pair have almost developed a telepathic understanding. Rafael has started to add goals to his game and is without a doubt, the finest fullback at the club at this moment.

4. David De Gea

Following a disappointing start to his Manchester United career in his debut season, which saw him getting a lot of stick for not being physical and imposing enough in his own penalty box, 2013 saw De Gea turn over a new leaf in his Manchester United career.

Towards the end of 2012, he was already starting to show that he had what it takes to succeed at United, following crucial saves in the games against City and Sunderland. De Gea came into the New Year, high on confidence and looking like he was worth every penny of the £17.8 m that was spent on him the previous season.

His performance against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg of the last-16 was one of his finest till date, as the Spaniard managed to make save after save and keep his side in the contest. Following his exploits in the Champions League, he went onto keep three-straight clean sheets in the League and ended the season as an integral part of United’s 20^th League title. His performances was there for all to see and it was no surprise to seem him being voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Season.

This season, he has only continued from where he left off and has made several crucial saves and his levels of concentration, have been nothing short of exemplary.

Although he doesn’t have many clean sheets to his name this time around, his performances has seen his stock rise and rise, and it won’t be too long before he becomes one of the best keepers that the world has ever seen. And whilst there was no doubts about his shot-stopping ability, 2013 was the year in which he took charge of his defense, came out for crosses and showed the world that he can take a hit on the chin, but still come back for more.

3. Robin van Persie

It is not very often that you see a 29-year-old striker changing clubs and get off to the best of starts. After all, it takes time to settle in and get used to your teammates and the way they play. But, Robin van Persie made a mockery of that, by picking up from where he left off at Arsenal. His 30 goals in his debut season, is a brilliant return for anybody, and it is all the more incredible given the fact that he has had to change clubs, very late on.

Whilst his goals in the first half of the campaign, gave United a head start on the rest, it was his goals, in the second half that cemented his position as one of the finest finishers and helped Manchester United to yet another league title and the Dutchman’s first.

The Dutchman scored 13 goals since the turn of the year in the league last time out to finish as the Golden Boot winner for the second straight season. And although he has been plagued by injury this season, he has still managed to score 8 goals in all competitions and was one of the main reasons United didn’t fall too far behind the pack, particularly early on in Moyes’s reign when the team were struggling for goals.

Whilst he has scored many great goals in his career, his volley against Aston Villa at Old Trafford last season, will go down as one of the best goals the historic stadium has ever seen and that is precisely why he is number 3 in the list of United’s greatest players of 2013.

2. Michael Carrick

If only the 2012/13 season was considered, Carrick would have certainly been the best player at Manchester United, but since it is the calendar year, the Englishman is in second, but only just. After a season that saw him being crowned the Players’ Player of the Year award at Manchester United, Carrick certainly enjoyed an Indian summer.

For far too long, the metronomic midfielder was underrated and under-appreciated, but that is a thing of the past now, as the central midfielder has shown the world that it is no coincidence that United won a hat-trick of League titles immediately after he was signed.

Over the past 12 months, Carrick has emerged into a world class central midfielder, capable of not only picking the perfect pass, but picking off also any attack, with his knack for being in the right place at the right time, when it comes to defense.

The vision and elegance of the English central midfielder has always been apparent, but the addition of consistency to the mix, has ensured that Carrick had his “best ever season for Manchester United” last time around in the words of Sir Alex Ferguson. And although Van Persie’s goals were crucial, it was Carrick who was the orchestrator at the center of the park and whenever he wasn’t present, United were found wanting.

1. Wayne Rooney

And who pips Carrick, to be Manchester United’s best player of 2013? Surprise, Surprise, it is Wayne Rooney. A man, who over the summer, many though might not even be at United come September, thanks to all the speculation surrounding the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and his words that Rooney wanted out of United. But, ever since Moyes, the man who handed him his League debut, took over at United, Rooney has been in the center of anything good Manchester United have done so far this season.

After starting slowly last season, he picked up his form in 2013, with 9 of his 12 League coming in this calendar year. And whilst he was good towards the end of last season, he has been nothing short of phenomenal this time around.

Whilst he already has 11 goals so far, what has been more astonishing is the fact that he already has 12 assists to his name, the most by any player in Europe. And it is not merely the statistics, but the fact that he has been pulling the strings, creating chances, scoring goals, dropping back in defense and playing in any and every position that the manager has asked him to, with great aplomb and it is this versatility that makes Wayne Rooney, not just the best Manchester United player in 2013, perhaps the best in England as well.