Ranking Manchester United's best ever wingers at Old Trafford | OneFootball

Highlights

While you might not think it now, Manchester United have dominated English football throughout the majority of their history and as a result, have featured some truly incredible players their squads. They've been particularly blessed in the winger position, with some elite talents turning out on the flanks for the Red Devils over the years.

Whether it was some top-notch stars who dazzled in short doses, or legendary players who built untouchable legacies with the team, there have been some real elite wingers who played for the Manchester club throughout their history, so we've decided to rank the 10 very best. Without further ado, here are the 10 very best wingers in United history, ranked from worst to best.

10 Jesper Olsen

Appearances: 139 - Goals: 21

Playing under Ron Atkinson and then Sir Alex Ferguson, Jesper Olsen spent just four years at Old Trafford playing for United during the 1980s, but that was more than enough time to solidify his spot as one of the side's very best wingers ever. He played 139 games for the club and scored 21 goals along the way.

The star was excellent with the ball at his feet, dribbling up and down the pitch, but was also just as good at whipping the ball to his teammates. He eventually left and joined Bordeaux in Ligue 1 in 1989, but his contributions to the team, especially in Fergie's early tenure, were never forgotten.

9 Lee Sharpe

Appearances: 193 - Goals: 21

During United's dominance in the early 1990s, Lee Sharpe was a force to be reckoned with in the side and was even named the PFL Young Player of the Year in 1991. He was a key member of the squad in the Premier League's early days and was known just as much for his Sharpey Turn as he was for the rest of his scintillating play.

He was electric on his day and if it wasn't for the emergence of a certain other pair of wingers who we'll discuss later, he likely would have been firmly entrenched in the first team for a long time. Instead, though, he left in 1996 when he joined Leeds United. Still, he managed to make close to 200 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 21 goals for the club, ensuring he went down in history as one of the side's greatest wingers.

8 Andrei Kanchelskis

Appearances: 161 - Goals: 36

While Sharpe was on one wing, Andrei Kanchelskis was most likely going to be on the other, terrorising Premier League defenders for almost five years. The former Russian international was known for his blistering pace and there wasn't a full-back in the country who could keep up with him at the time.

He played 161 times for the Red Devils, scoring 36 goals during his time at Old Trafford, and it was actually considered a major surprise when he was let go in 1995, but the move was done, similarly to Sharpe, to make room for the Class of '92, who were slowly becoming some of the brightest prospects in all of England. He left United for Everton and was just as good for the Toffees initially too. Incredible talent.

7 Willie Morgan

Appearances: 236 - Goals: 25

Willie Morgan had the unenviable task of replacing George Best at United, a job that no one really would have wanted, but he did more than a good enough job taking over for the Irishman. The Scot had spent the first eight years of his career at Burnley, but joined the Red Devils in 1968 and then spent the subsequent seven years with the side.

Morgan was a tricky, skilful winger who had no problem dancing past numerous defenders on a regular basis and United fans couldn't get enough of him. He wound up playing 236 times for the club over the course of seven years and scored 25 goals for the side before he eventually left in 1975, returning to Burnley for a year. He wasn't Best, sure, but he was certainly a worthy successor.

6 Steve Coppell

Appearances: 322 - Goals: 53

United may not have been at their best during Steve Coppell's tenure with the club, but there's no argument that he was certainly one of the best wingers in the side's history. After just two years at Tranmere Rovers, he joined the Red Devils in 1975 and would remain there for the rest of his career.

He was dynamite on the flanks for the club and it was a testament to his impressive consistency that he managed to shine week in, and week out for the club despite their overall struggles at the time. Injuries forced him into premature retirement in 1983 at just 28 years old, so who knows how much higher he could have ranked on this list if he'd remained with the side for another few years. With that being said, he still managed to play over 300 games for the team and scored over 50 goals, which is pretty damn great.

5 Marcus Rashford

Appearances: 369 - Goals: 124

He might draw polarising opinions from some fans, but there's absolutely no disputing Marcus Rashford's place as one of United's greatest ever wingers. The general consensus in that the Englishman has never really taken his game to the levels that many thought he would when he first burst onto the scene, but he's still been pretty incredible for the team.

Rashford has made close to 400 appearances for United so far, scoring 124 goals as well, but those numbers will surely only continue to rise as he holds onto his spot in the side. Away from the club, he's become a global star for his excellent work off of the pitch, but he's also been incredible on it and thoroughly deserves his spot as one of the five best wingers in the Red Devils' history.

4 David Beckham

Appearances: 394 - Goals: 85

In hindsight, David Beckham was never really that winger-like, and would more than likely have ended up in a more central role if he'd have broken into the team these days, but he spent his entire United career out on the right-hand side and dominated teams from there. No one could cross a ball or take a set piece quite like he could.

He was not only a superstar, but a fantastic leader and his role in the Red Devils' insane run of dominance during the 1990s cannot be overstated. As a member of the Class of '92, he helped make up one of the greatest group of academy graduates in English football history and if it wasn't for the fracturing relationship he had with Ferguson, he could have eventually ranked even higher than this. Still, he managed to play 394 games and score 85 goals before he left which is pretty damn good.

3 Cristiano Ronaldo

Appearances: 346 - Goals: 145

If we're talking about their careers as a whole, there's no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo would have ranked number one on this list. The Portuguese star is one of the very best footballers of all time, but the majority of his run came away from Old Trafford, so we can only judge him on what we saw during his time in Manchester.

He was still pretty immense during his tenure with the club and quickly emerged as the best player in England during his time with them. His second run with the team might not have ended on the best of notes, but that doesn't detract from the incredible work he did across 346 appearances. He was exceptional and there's not much we can say about Ronaldo that hasn't already been said a million times.

2 George Best

Appearances: 474 - Goals: 181

Ahh, George Best. The original superstar at Old Trafford. While he's now known more for his outlandish behaviour off of the pitch, it's important to remember just how incredible he was on it too. He was breathtakingly brilliant and managed to torment defenders in an era where they were allowed to kick lumps into attackers.

It was harder back then to play with the flair that Best had, but he made it look easy and scored some incredible goals over the course of his 474 games with the side. There's a reason Sir Matt Busby was quoted as saying: "It was a very simple team talk. All I used to say was: Whenever possible, give the ball to George."

1 Ryan Giggs

Appearances: 963 - Goals: 168

Ryan Giggs might not have been the most talented winger on this list, but he is undeniably the best winger in United history. His legacy at Old Trafford is unmatched and no one has played more games than he did for the club. The Welshman not only won pretty much everything there was to win during his career with the Red Devils, but he also has more assists than anyone in Premier League history, emphasising his incredible work with the team.

Giggs is a true United great, and for our money, he's the best winger in the club's history.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.