Manchester United’s 2012-13 title-winning squad: Where are the players now? | OneFootball

David de Gea's departure from Manchester United means there is officially no one left at Old Trafford who played under Sir Alex Ferguson during the 2012-13 season, the Scotsman's final year in charge of the club.

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De Gea was signed by Fergie in 2011, and spent the next 12 years as United's number one, making over 500 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils and winning the club's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award on four separate occasions.

Rumours about the keeper's future at Old Trafford have been circulating for a while, though, and he's now announced his departure. His exit means there is no one left at United who played under Ferguson, truly marking the end of an era. While the Spaniard's future is unclear, we do know what happened to every other player who featured for the Red Devils during the 2012-13 season, and here is where they all ended up.

31 Anders Lindegaard - Retired

Serving as a quality backup goalkeeper, Anders Lindegaard spent five years at United, regularly behind de Gea in the pecking order. During the 2012-13 season, the keeper made 13 appearances for the Red Devils, the most of any season he spent at Old Trafford.

He departed the club in 2015, bouncing between several English sides as he went from West Bromwich Albion to Preston North End and then to Burnley before he finished his career at Helsinborg in Sweden, where he retired in 2022.

30 Michael Keane - Everton

While he only made two league cup appearances during the 2012-13 season at United, Michael Keane has gone on to have a decent career at the top of English football.

Keane made just one Premier League appearance at the Red Devils and was shipped out on loan to numerous clubs before he joined Burnley on a permanent deal. After several seasons at the Lancashire side, he made the switch to Everton where he's been for the last six years.

29 Chris Smalling - AS Roma

Chris Smalling was in his third season at Old Trafford during the 2012-13 season and made 22 appearances in all competitions. He spent the next six seasons at United but left in 2019 after falling out of favour at the club.

A move to Italy, joining AS Roma rejuvenated his career, and he's been a stand-out for the club throughout the last four seasons.

28 Jonny Evans - Leicester City

The 2012-13 season was one of Jonny Evans' final at United. He made 30 appearances for the club that year, winning the final of his three Premier League titles.

He departed for West Brom in 2015, spending three seasons at the Hawthorns before he moved on to Leicester City in 2018, where he's been ever since.

27 Phil Jones - Free agent

When Phil Jones signed for United from Blackburn Rovers, many expected him to cement himself as a key player for the Red Devils for years to come. Ferguson was very high on the defender, having bought him in 2011.

In the 2012-13 season, the defender made 24 appearances in all competitions, but injuries hindered his progress over the next decade and he became the second-to-last player from the Ferguson era to leave United when his departure was announced earlier this year. He's still currently a free agent, with his future unclear.

26 Rafael - Botafogo

Having flirted with the first team through the first four years of his United career, the 2012-13 season marked Rafael's first as a regular fixture within the first team at Old Trafford, with 40 appearances in all competitions at right-back.

He spent just another two years at the club, though, departing for Lyon in 2015, and spending a further five seasons in France, before he spent a year in Istanbul. He then moved back to his native Brazil, signing with Botafogo in 2021, where he's remained ever since.

25 Ashley Young - Free agent

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 05: Ashley Young of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Southampton at Villa Park on March 5, 2022 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

The 2012-13 season was Ashley Young's second at Old Trafford, when he made 23 appearances in all competitions and he spent the next seven years at the club before he moved to Inter Milan in 2019.

He spent two years in Italy before a return to his former club Aston Villa, but was released once his contract expired at Villa Park this summer, and recent rumours suggest a move to Everton could be on the cards in the future.

24 Scott Wootton - Wellington Phoenix

Having come through United's youth ranks, the 2012-13 season was Scott Wootton's final at the club. Having failed to really break into the side, he made four appearances for the Red Devils that year, before departing to Leeds United after the campaign.

He spent three years at the club before he bounced between several football league clubs, and he's now plying his trade in Australia at Wellington Phoenix, where he's been for the last two years.

23 Alexander Buttner - De Graafschap

Hopes were high for Alexander Buttner when he signed with United in 2012, making him one of Ferguson's final transfers, but his time at the club was a major disappointment.

He made just 13 appearances for the Red Devils that season, and left just two years after he joined. Having moved around Europe, with stints in Russia, Belgium and Holland, he had a brief spell in the US, before settling down in his home nation. He currently plays for De Graafschap, having signed in 2022.

22 Marnick Vermijl - Thes Sport

Having made just two appearances during his time at United, Marnick Vermijl moved on in 2015. He spent time on loan at a number of sides, including Preston, but has since settled down with Thes Sport in Beligum, where he signed in 2020.

21 Patrice Evra - Retired

One of the greatest full-backs in Premier League history, Patrice Evra was a firm fixture for United during the 2012-13 season, with 42 appearances, but he left the club just a year later.

Spells at Juventus, Marseille and West Ham followed, and the Frenchman retired in 2018. He's now known for his excellent work as a football pundit.

20 Rio Ferdinand - Retired

Rio Ferdinand speaking about Mason Mount. Credit: Rio Ferdinand Presents FIVE.

Regarded as one of the best centre-backs in Premier League history, Rio Ferdinand's career was winding down during the 2012-13 season. Having made 34 appearances that year, the Englishman had just one more year at the Red Devils before he left in 2014.

He signed with Queens Park Rangers that summer, spending just one year at Loftus Road before he retired. He's since stepped into a punditry role.

19 Antonio Valencia - Retired

Having joined United three years earlier, Antonio Valencia was pivotal for the side during the 2012-13 season, making 40 appearances. He spent the next six years at the club before leaving in 2019.

He's since retired and founded his own football club, AV25 Club Deportivo in Ecuador.

18 Nemanja Vidic - Retired

Nemanja Vidic had spent seven years at Old Trafford by the time the 2012-13 season rolled around, and it turned out to be his second last. The defender made 26 appearances that year, winning his final Premier League title.

He left for Inter in 2014, where he spent two years before retiring in 2016.

17 Nick Powell - Stockport County

Hopes were high for the highly sought after Nick Powell when he signed for United from Crewe ahead of the 2012-13 season, and his debut year was the most he ever featured for the club, with six appearances in all competitions.

He has since shined in the Championship for Wigan and Stoke, but surprisingly dropped down to League Two this summer, joining Stockport County on a free transfer.

16 Shinji Kagawa - Cerezo Osaka

Another top prospect signed by United in Ferguson's final season who would fall flat at Old Trafford, Shinji Kagawa signed from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2012, and actually started his career in Manchester brightly.

With 26 appearances and six goals in all competitions, things were looking good, but his form fell off a cliff from there on out, and he was back at Dortmund two years later. He recently rejoined his boyhood club Cerezo Osaka in Japan.

15 Robbie Brady - Preston North End

Coming through United's youth academy, Robbie Brady made one appearance for United in the 2012-13 season, before he was shipped out on loan to Hull City, the club he'd sign for permanently a year later.

He's since played for a number of English sides and is currently at Preston, where he signed in 2022.

14 Ryan Tunnicliffe - Portsmouth

The 2012-13 season marked the only one of Ryan Tunnicliffe's four as a senior player at United where he actually made an appearance. His two league cup performances weren't enough to earn him more game time, and he left the club the next year, joining Fulham.

He's since played for several English sides and has spent the last two seasons at Portsmouth.

13 Anderson - Retired

Anderson's career at Old Trafford never quite reached the heights many expected it would, and his 26 appearances in 2012-13 were the beginning of the end.

With just 10 appearances in the next two seasons, he moved back to Brazil in 2015 and retired in 2020 after jumping around several clubs.

12 Ryan Giggs - Retired

Regarded as one of United's greatest-ever players, Ryan Giggs's career was nearing its end during the 2012-13 season. He made 32 appearances in all competitions that year as he won his 13th and final Premier League trophy.

He retired just one year after Ferguson, calling time on his career in the summer of 2014. He went on to spend four years as the head coach of the Wales national team, stepping down in 2022.