17
TOMMY TAYLOR
1953–1958How good might Taylor have become? It’s
impossible to say for certain, but in his 191
games for United he scored 131 goals, and
for England he scored 16 goals in 19
games. As Taylor was only 26 when he
died at Munich, he could easily have played
another four or five years at the highest
level, and if he had maintained a similar
strike rate he would have been the club’s
all-time leading scorer. A big, physically
imposing man, Taylor had a bullet header
and a physical approach that – like many
of the best strikers – intimidated
defenders. A Barnsley boy, Taylor was
wanted by many of the big clubs, but Matt
Busby got him in March 1953 for the sum
of £29,999.21
NOBBY STILES
1960–1971Stiles was a defensive midfielder who
did the ‘grunt’ work of winning and
retaining possession, enabling the ball-
players such as Best and Charlton to
thrive further forward. A teenaged
England Schoolboys international at the time of
Munich, Stiles was devastated by the loss of his heroes
and determined to live up to their memories.
Although unprepossessing in appearance – Stiles was
short, ungainly, very short-sighted and prematurely
balding – he was an invaluable rock in the sort of
holding midfielder role that was virtually unknown in
the 1960s. He played almost 400 games for United
and is one of only three Englishmen to have won the
World Cup and European Cup.22
DAVID DE GEA
2011 –The tall Spaniard was initially
deemed too lightweight for the
physical challenges presented
by the English Premier League
and looked too easy to
intimidate, but he has worked
hard on becoming a more
dominant figure on crosses.
Always there was his supreme shot-stopping and
athletic ability to get to the ball, even in the corners of
the goal. During a largely unsettled period for the
club, he has saved them so many times that his
record transfer price of £18.9 million has been made
to look a bargain. Four times he has been voted the
club’s player of the year, and five times he has
featured in the PFA Team of the Year. Images
Getty Images20
RUUD VAN NISTELROOY
2001 –2006One of the most prolific strikers
to play for Unite d, Dutchman
van Nistelrooy’s goal-scoring
exploits earned him 11th place
in the club’s all-time top
scorers list. And that was in
just five seasons – a decade at
the club with a similar games-
to-goals ratio would have seen him comfortably top
that chart. Van Nistelrooy started life as a central
midfield but was moved up front by his first
professional club, Den Bosch. He then spent a year at
Heerenveen before three at PSV Eindhoven, where he
scored a ridiculous 62 goals in 67 matches. Fast,
strong and with an opportunist’s eye for the goal, he
was a lethal finisher.18
DENIS IRWIN
1990 –2002Vying with Roger Byrne for the title
of Unite d’s best left-back, Irwin
might have been an understated
player, but his team certainly
appreciated the value he brought
to the side. Winner of seven league titles,
together with three FA Cups, a League Cup, a
Champions League and a Cup Winners’ Cup,
Irwin boasts an impressive haul of trophies. He
made a huge impact playing for Oldham
Athletic, helping the team reach the final of the
League Cup and semi-finals of the FA Cup in- Unite d somehow acquired him for only
£625,000, an absolute steal for a man who
would go on to make 368 appearances.
19
BILL FOULKES
1950 –1970Foulkes was the archetypal stopper; a big,
rugged man who played at the centre of defence
and for who the phrase ‘none shall pass’ might
have been coined. Fourth on the all-time
appearances record with 688, he was discovered
at 18 playing for Whiston Boys’ Club. Born in St
Helens, both his father and grandfather had
played rugby league for their hometown club.
Not convinced he was good enough to play
football professionally, Foulkes continued to
work part-time as a miner, only stopping after
winning his first (and ironically only) England
cap. Powerful in the air and solid on the ground,
Foulkes was a fitness fanatic who worked hard
on his game but remained resolutely low profile
throughout his 20-year career.FourFourTwo.com The Story of Man Utd 5350 GREATEST
RED DEVILS