Manchester Uniteds best No.7s as Mata turns the jersey down.. After completing the £37.1m transfer from Chelsea to Manchester United it was widely expected that Juan Mata would take the iconic No.7 shirt at Old Trafford. The position has been vacant since Antonio Valencia gave up the number due to the pressure that came with it, but Mata clearly considered it to be a burden as well and opted for No.8 instead. This is because over the years several legendary United stars have donned the famous shirt and here are the best of the best. 5. David Beckham - 1993 to 2003 The former England captain became synonymous with the No.7 shirt at Old Trafford and was among a group of talented youth players that conquered Europe under Sir Alex Ferguson. In a decade in the United first team Beckham won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League, before moving onto Real Madrid and global stardom. 4. Bryan Robson - 1981 to 1994 A classy midfielder who was key in helping the transition into the Ferguson era at the Theatre of Dreams and remains the clubs longest serving skipper. Robson won three FA Cups, the Uefa Cup Winners Cup and helped the new manager to his first two league titles in the mid-1990s before moving to Middlesbrough. 3. Eric Cantona - 1992 to 1997 Only spent a relatively short time with the Red Devils but became a club legend and icon during that time, leading the side to four league titles and their first ever domestic double. The talented Frenchman was the experienced head among a very youthful United team, before suddenly retiring from the game in 1997 aged just 30-years-old. 2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 2003 to 2009 Arrived at the club as a skinny 18-year-old that performed two many step-overs and left as one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. When Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid for a then world record £80m fee, the Portuguese star had scored 117 goals, won three league titles and the Champions League and was named the 2008 Ballon dOr winner. 1. George Best - 1963 to 1974 As Sir Matt Busby looked to build another all-conquering team at Old Trafford in the wake of the Munich Air Disaster, there was one player who came to define a brilliant era. Best was the first of the celebrity footballers, but also possessed such talent on the pitch that Brazil legend Pele was moved to name the Northern Irishman as the best player of all time. Like Cantona the classy winger left United whilst still at the top aged 27-years-old, having guided them to two league titles and a maiden European Cup triumph in 1968.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 17:40:08 +0000
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