51. Roy Keane

Signed from: Nottingham Forest (£3,750,000),
Debut: 2-0 win vs Norwich City, August 15th 1993.
League Record: 309 games (+17 as sub), 33 goals
Sold to: contract terminated (November 2005), subsequently signed for Celtic

A legend, though he probably wouldn't like me saying that. With Bryan Robson finally approaching the end of the road, we signed possibly the only man capable to taking over the same role. I'm not sure anybody in this list will come close to the levels Roy Keane strived to achieve his goals on the field: he didn't care about making friends or being liked by anyone – all that mattered was victory.

Despite the fact he would eventually become one of the most highly-regarded players in world football, young Roy was a late starter. At 19, he was still playing in his native Cork before Brian Clough brought him over to Nottingham Forest. Months later, he played in the 1991 FA Cup final, though ended up on the losing side.

By 1993, though, Clough had lost his battle with the bottle and Forest were relegated. Keane was ambitious and wanted to be playing at the highest level: Blackburn (at that time) matched that level of ambition and he looked nailed on to join them until a last-minute Fergie swoop saw him come to the right side of the A666. His joining us would be immortalised in the terrace classic ‘Keano’s Magic Hat’.

With the departure of Paul Ince in 1995, Keano was free to establish total dominance of the midfield, a position he would maintain for the best part of a decade, and when Eric retired in 1997, he took over the captaincy too. In this role, he took a more traditional approach – offering bollocings to teammates when they were needed and inspiring through sheer drive and energy.

His importance to the team was reflected in his first season as skipper, when a serious long-term injury resulted in a serious tilt at the title running out of steam. He came back the next year stronger and hungrier for missing out - leading to his greatest moment in a red shirt.

It was the 1999 Champions League semi-final against Juventus, who at that time had stars like Davids, Zidane and Del Piero at the top of their game. The first leg at Old Trafford had ended 1-1 and within no time at their place, we were 2-0 down and looking dead. Keano had had enough, took charge and scored the first goal in our 3-2 comeback. What made this more remarkable was that he picked up a booking that meant he would miss the final, but instead of moping, he played harder and better than ever.

The attitude and commitment that saw him win so much at United also led to one of his most infamous moments, when prior to the 2002 World Cup, he criticised the training facilities organised for the Irish team. Convinced management saw the whole affair as little more than a jolly, he stormed out after a bust-up with manager Mick McCarthy. Around the same time, he criticised sections of the United support of just turning up for the experience and not getting behind the team. A lot of the traditional fanbase found it hard to argue.

Three years later, his forthright views got him in trouble again. After we took a 4-1 kicking at Middlesbrough, he went on the in-house TV channel and laid into various players, not holding back one bit. Ferguson found this unacceptable and the subsequent rift between the two led to his leaving the club. To give Keane his dues, everything he said was spot on and he later stated he went to each player he criticised and explained why he said what he had. Though he was past his peak at the time, he was still the captain and a major influence on the team and we've not had that kind of box-to-box midfielder since.

Following managerial spells at Sunderland (mixed fortunes) and Ipswich Town (not good), he’s currently seen as a pundit for ITV’s coverage of England and Champions League games, where he’s often amusing with his usual straight talking.

42. Peter Schmeichel

Signed from: Brondby (£505,000), August 1991
Debut: 2-0 win vs Notts County, August 17th 1991
League Record: 292 games
Sold to: Sporting Lisbon (free transfer), June 1999

If I'm going to be brutally honest, by my reckoning there's only been three players who crop up in this list who could were without doubt the best in their position in the world. Peter Schmeichel is the first - in simple terms, throughout most the 1990s, he was the best goalkeeper in the business.

United hadn't had a really exceptional goalie for decades. Harry Gregg, signed in 1958, was at the time the most expensive 'keeper in the world, and was voted as the best at that summer's World Cup in Sweden, but injuries prevented him taking part in the glory days of the 1960s. Alex Stepney had been reliable and injury prevented Gary Bailey from maturing into his peak years.

Brian Clough knew how important the man between the sticks was to winning the league: so he bought the best in Peter Shilton. Initially, Fergie struggled with the signing of Jim Leighton failing, and Les Sealey only providing a stopgap. By signing Schmeichel, he'd made a huge move in our exceptional run of success throughout the rest of the decade.

Though we through the League away in his first season, the Big Dane was blameless, keeping plenty of clean sheets and introducing a new attack option with his long throws from goal that would often clear the half-way line. After a short spell of adjustment, he was soon confident in dealing with high balls aimed to the likes of John Fashanu and Mick Harford, his massive frame meaning he could clean out opponents and teammates alike in claiming the ball.

He had an exceptional summer that year, playing a big part in Denmark's unlikely claiming of the European Championships. Bringing that winning mentality back, he played every game in our first Premiership success. Over the next few years, he was untouchable as the best and was always first choice for United, with only a few minor injuries getting the way.

On several occasions, he would throw himself forward to try to save a game. He even managed a goal against Rotor Volgograd in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup, though it was in vain as we went out on away goals. Later that season, he put in what may have been his finest performance. Playing at Newcastle, then our big title rivals, he took everything they threw at him, pulling off a number of sublime saves to secure a vital 1-0 win.

1998/99 would turn out to be his last season. Midway through, he began to look a little jaded and some uncharacteristic mistakes saw him given a small break to take a holiday and get his head together. He came back on top form and played a huge part in our treble triumph. His penalty save from Dennis Bergkamp in the FA Cup semi-final replay lives long in the memory and in the Champions League final a few weeks later, he bombed forward in the last minutes to cause enough confusion to enable an equaliser.

Shortly after, he went off to Portugal, claiming he wasn't up to hectic standard of English football anymore. However, he returned to play for Aston Villa and then, somewhat unfortunately, Manchester City. That left a bad taste in a lot of Red's mouths, especially when he celebrated a win against us.

Despite that, it's interesting that in subsequent media appearances, he's always referred to United as "us". And he remains the best keeper we've had in my lifetime, just about edging a certain Dutchman far, far down the line.

38. Ryan Giggs

Signed from: Youth team
Debut: 0-2 loss at Everton (as sub), March 2nd 1991
League Record: 555 games (+117 as sub), 114 goals
Sold to: retired, May 19th 2014

The first man we’ve come across who is still playing pro football, and still at the top level at that. Ryan Giggs is a freak of the modern age in terms of his longevity and fitness. It’s amazing to think there are plenty of United fans out there (i.e. those a couple of years younger than me) who can’t remember a time Giggs wasn't in the first team.

His backstory is well known, especially the part about him training with City until the newly arrived Fergie set about overhauling the youth policy. A United fan from Salford, though born in Wales, the-then Ryan Wilson didn’t need much convincing when we finally got the wherewithal to come knocking. His potential was impossible to miss, by all accounts, and he made his debut not long after his 17th birthday. A few months later, he got his first start in the Manchester Derby, taking the credit for a Colin Hendry own goal.

The next season, with Lee Sharpe out injured, he claimed the left wing spot along with the #11 shirt and after Sharpe left in 1996, he was pretty much unopposed in the position for the next ten years, barring a Swedish rival for the Treble season.

In those early days, he became the poster boy for the early Premiership period, advertising all manner of things (veggie sausages spring to mind) and the club stuck his face on just about anything they could sell. He’d be eventually replaced in this role by some kid from That London playing on the other wing.

Throughout all his 20 years in the team, he’s rarely had the absolute backing of the entire support: after a brilliant 1993/94 season where he scored 19 goals, he struggled the next campaign and from then on, he always seemed to have some sections of the crowd on his back. It’s also unlikely he’s been that many people’s favourite player, but he always had the knack of answering critics in spectacular style.

There was, of course, his wonder goal in the 1999 FA Cup Semi-Final replay, where he picked up a wayward Arsenal pass near the half way line and kept running till he nearly hit the touchline, at which moment he smashed it into the top of the net.

But there was also a sublime performance at Juventus that came in one of the many dips in form a player gets over two decades. At a ground we’d never found it easy, he ran riot, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory. At the time, his form really was suffering and it was the perfect reply to the critics.

Yes, there have been spells of indifferent form where he seemed to spend too much with his hands on his hips as a pass went astray, and that open goal miss in the FA Cup against Arsenal in 2003 was inexcusable: I was in London that day, which happened by chance to be when the huge anti-war march took place. Sorry to say, the enormity of the event was far overshadowed by our defeat and wondering how the fuck Giggsy had put it over the bar when all he needed to do was pea-roll it into an unguarded goal. Such is football.

But in all likelihood, he’ll still be playing top class football at the age of 39, still patrolling the wing and occasionally twisting a full-back apart like nobody else can. He’s won more English league titles than anyone body else as well as four FA Cups and a couple of European Cups into the bargain. With other 900 first team games, he's played more for Manchester United than anybody else and certainly just about every England coach from Graham Taylor onwards has wished he’d been born in England rather than Wales.

More recently, there were revelations about his personal life that has sullied his reputation as a human being. Separating the man from his art, difficult as it may be, leaves someone who deserves his place amongst the greats of the club. It’ll be a strange day when the #11 shirt has something other than “Giggs” above it.

* May 2014 edit: after a season as player-coach under the somewhat underwhelming reign of David Moyes, Giggs took charge for the last four games of the season. In the second-to-last, a home game against Hull City, he brought himself off the bench, set up a goal and nearly scored another. That he didn't meant that the Manchester United scoring lists were missing his name for the first time since 1989/90.

As the appointment of Louis van Gaal as Manager was announced, the news came out that Ryan Giggs had retired as a player, to take up duties as the new Assistant Manager.

35. Dennis Irwin

Signed from: Oldham Athletic (£625,000), June 1990
Debut: 2-0 win vs Coventry City, August 25th 1990
League Record: 356 games (+12 as sub), 22 goals
Sold to: Wolverhampton Wanderers (free transfer), summer of 2002

Talk to any time-served United fan about Dennis Irwin and chances are you'll eventually hear the words "reliable" or "consistent". However, that doesn't tell the full story of a man who can count himself as one of Sir Alex Ferguson's best bits of business.

Irwin began his pro career over the Pennines with Leeds United. Helped by the management of Eddie Gray, always well-regarded for his ability developing young players, he was soon in the first team and throughout 1984/85 season was a regular starter. However, that summer Billy Bremner became the new boss and didn't rate the young Irishman, letting him leave on a free. This may help explain why Bremner was sacked a couple of years later.

Snapped by a more sympathetic manager in Oldham Athletic's Joe Royle, Dennis was soon back on track and became a key part of a developing team. By 1990, alongside ex-Red Andy Richie, he was part of a very good team that reached the League Cup final and gave United all manner of problems in the FA Cup.

I actually got a decent look at him around this time, as I won two tickets to the 1990 League Cup final in which Oldham lost 1-0 to Nottingham Forest. Irwin must have made a good impression, as I can clearly remember being happy with the news he'd be wearing a red shirt.

In his first season, he was mainly seen at right-back. On his début, he helped set up both our goals and his crossing and dead-ball abilities would become a big part of our player over the next decade. Eventually, he settled in at left-back, a position in which he can claim to be our best ever, certainly from those I've seen. Though not the quickest player, he had the intelligence to always position himself correctly and was as good at crossing the ball as most wingers. Never shy going forward, it was one of his runs that brought about the penalty that opened the scoring in the 1994 FA Cup final. The run to that final also saw him on the end of a great team move against Wimbledon, which he finished by scuffing the ball into the corner.

He was also a dead-shot at set-pieces, being our penalty taker for a spell in the late 1990s, a job at which he was typically reliable. I remember him missing one late on in the 1999 Treble season but didn't shirk when the next spot-kick came up, at Liverpool - which he put away.

By 2002, he was well into his 30s and we had Mikael Silvestre playing in the left back position and he was allowed to sign for Wolves. In his first season, alongside Paul Ince, they were promoted to the Premiership. Though they were relegated back down after one season, Dennis didn't disgrace himself in his final year before retirement - indeed, when he came back to Old Trafford, I remember a young Portuguese number seven was kept well in his place by the veteran.

33. Les Sealey

Signed from: Luton Town (free transfer) first time, Aston Villa (free transfer) the second.
Debut: 2-1 win vs Queen’s Park Rangers, April 14th 1990
League Record: 33 games
Sold to: Aston Villa (free transfer) the first time, Blackpool (free transfer) the second.

Our second goalkeeper, at last! Jim Leighton made nearly two entire seasons without missing a single game in league or cup - you can't imagine that happening in these days of squad rotation.

Les Sealey is a classic case of how you can become a huge fan favourite and even enjoy a little iconic status without necessarily being a top-quality footballer. What was perhaps most important was that he “got” what it meant to play for us and revelled in every second he got in the shirt.

When he arrived at United, Les must have thought his best days were well behind him. 33-years-old, he’s had lengthy spells at Coventy City and Luton Town and was now second choice at the latter. Never a likely contender for a move to a big club or international recognition, he’d not had much luck on the trophy front either: when Luton Town had the biggest day of their history in beating Arsenal 3-2 at the 1988 League Cup final, he was out with injury. When they made the final again the next year, he was back in the team but had to make do with a runners-up medal as they lost 3-1 to Nottingham Forest. He hadn't had the best game in that, hence Andy Dibble earning the #1 shirt soon after.

By the Spring of 1990, he was second choice at Luton and it seemed his career was winding down. The typical route from here would have been to sign for someone like Northampton Town and have a few years kicking round the lower divisions. Instead, he wound up on loan at Manchester United and a month later, winning a FA Cup winner’s medal. Ferguson noted that his choice to play him ahead of Leighton in the replay came down to that while Sealey may not have been a technically better keeper, he thought he was. Confidence in a goalie is crucial, and Les had that in spades.

The next season, he started as first choice, barking away at the back four and becoming a firm crowd favourite. His most memorable moment came in the 1991 League Cup final, when he was seriously hurt in a clash with a Sheffield Wednesday player. Our physio, Jim McGregor, wanted to bring him off, such was the worry about the severity of the wound. But these were the days before substitute goalkeepers and Les knew he needed to stay on, looking like he was willing to beat the crap out of Jim and anybody else who insisted differently.

After defeat and on the bus back to the airport, Les passed out. It later transpired that if he’d got on the plane to Manchester, the change in air pressure may have caused very serious damage to his leg.

All was made better when he came back to play in the Cup Winners Cup Final. His joyous celebrations as seen in the pic above made the cover of the legendary (for a certain generation) video game Manchester United Europe.

In the summer, Ferguson correctly noted that to challenge for the top prize, you need a world class keeper (exception to the rule: John Lukic), and the big Dane he signed was as good as they got. Not ready to play second fiddle again, Les was allowed to join Aston Villa on a free. He started out there first choice, but Nigel Spink won his place back and our man was allowed to go out on loan to local rivals Coventry and Birmingham. In the middle of 92/93, we needed some back-up and brought him back: he remained a popular figure and would get a song during the warm-up.

When the aforementioned world class keeper got sent-off against Charlton in a FA Cup quarter final in 1994, Les stepped into the breach, and it was great to see him on the pitch again. He even got to play in the League Cup final a few weeks later due to the Dane’s suspension. We lost 3-1 in a game I watched for the main part in a Motorway service station near Stoke on the way to Milton Keynes. That summer, having become third choice - entry #36 got the nod as sub keeper for the FA Cup final - he went off to Blackpool, later returning to his native London with West Ham. He got a game for them at Old Trafford in the last game of the 1996/97 season and, again, got a warm reception.

Sadly, Les suffered a fatal heart attack in August 2001, making him I hope the only entry who is no longer with us. At our next game after his death, up at Blackburn, reds in the stands went into a loud rendition of "There's only one Les Sealey" in tribute. Top man, sadly missed.

4. Steve Bruce

Signed from: Norwich City (£825,000), December 1987
Debut: 2-1 win vs Portsmouth, December 19th 1987
League Record: 309 games, 36 goals
Sold to: Birmingham City (free transfer), summer of 1996

Signed in part, I suspect, to replace Kevin Moran as the resident mental case at the back, Steve Bruce was, like the Irishman, not scared of throwing his body on the line. Tellingly, he broke his nose on his debut for United.

One of several Geordies who managed to avoid his local club’s scouts (see also: Bryan Robson and, at first, Peter Beardsley), Bruce learned his trade at Gillingham before a move to the top flight with Norwich. A League Cup medal was swiftly followed by relegation but by 1987, he was back in Division One and it needed the best part of a million quid to bring him to United. He’d prove to be one of Fergie's best signings.

Perhaps lacking the technical qualities of the very best centre-backs, Bruce made it up with more bravery, aggression and leadership qualities than just about anyone. He was essentially the team captain for most of the first half of the 90s as injuries and age caught up with Bryan Robson.

What he also brought to the table was goals. Though Gordon McQueen was a handful and indeed scored nine goals in one season, Brucie topped that with 19 in season 1990/91: surely a record in one season for a centre-half in top flight English football. A fair few were penalties, but plenty of others were testament to his skill at timing runs from corners/free kicks, including in the final of the European Cup Winners Cup, though his glory was stolen by Mark Hughes running in to smash it over the line.

His record seen above shows an average of around one in ten, which we've not had since from any of his successors at the back, though his record slowed down when he stopped taking penalties. The last of these, I believe, was a miss in a cup tie at Sheffield United that saw the score remain 2-1 to the Blades. From then on, responsibilities were handed to some French guy.

This was seen most memorably against Sheffield Wednesday towards the end of the 1992/93 season. With the team 1-0 down and time running out, he put away two headers (the first amazing in it's range) that sent the crowd, Alex Ferguson and Brian Kidd into ecstasies. My cousin happened to be in the crowd that day - a fact of which I remain jealous.

Towards the end, yes, he looked slow and the 4-0 drubbing in Barcelona showed he was struggling to hold his own against the more tricky opponents. Left on the bench in the 1996 FA Cup final, he probably knew it was time to move on. Eventually, he set on a career in management that's so far proven only mildly successful, his failure to help Sunderland step up in class seeing him earn the old Tin Tack. Shame, as whenever we beat Sunderland we always used to go on about our "Brucie Bonus".

Brucie is often held up as “The Best Uncapped England Player”, which is fair shout, but it’s worth remembering that his peak years weren't until his late 20s/early 30s, in which period England had Terry Butcher and Tony Adams to cover the “blood and guts” type defender to play alongside the cultured Des Walker. All the same, not getting a call-up when you've put away double figures as a defender may explain why Graham Taylor was not a successful England manager.

We may see more technically accomplished defenders on this blog, but few will have the affection from the fans that Brucie had.