Revealed: Defender steals Manchester United player of the decade award
With the end of the decade quickly approaching, we continue our running feature assessing the best WhoScored rated XIs for some of the biggest teams in Europe over the last 10 years. We have already revealed team of the decades for Liverpool and Barcelona and now it's time to run through Manchester United's.
As is the case with all of our team of the decades, players must have made at least 70 appearances for the club in question across the Premier League and Champions League since 2010.
Goalkeeper: David de Gea (333 apps) - 6.69 rating
David de Gea has unsurprisingly racked up at least 71 more appearances across the two competitions than any other player for United (333). After a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, De Gea has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He has impressively kept 118 clean sheets from 333 appearances and picked up the club's player of the year award in four of the last six seasons.
Right-back: Rafael (111 apps / 3 goals) - 7.23 rating
Best known for a lack of temperment, many forget Rafael did indeed have some very good seasons for United before eventually being forced out by David Moyes in 2014. In fact, in United's last title-winning campaign in 2012/13, only Robin van Persie (10) won the WhoScored Man of the Match award more times than Rafael (4).
In truth, there is a lack of competition in this position. Gary Neville only made 17 appearances this decade and Antonio Valencia only enjoyed an extended spell at right-back because of a lack of investment until this summer.
Centre-back: Nemanja Vidic (118 apps / 7 goals) - 7.42 rating
Nemanja Vidic is United's player of the decade, according to our ratings. His bravery stood out most but it was his ability to read danger that really helped him become an elite centre-back. This is illustrated by 2.4 interceptions and 10.1 clearances per 90 minutes from 2010 to 2014. Not only that, but he was remarkably only dribbled past 22 times in 188 appearances across the two tournaments.
United conceded less than a goal per game (0.87) when Vidic started during that time compared to a 1.09 goals conceded without him in the team. The Serbian also won 70% of his aerial duels, which is all the more impressive when you consider the back and knee problems he suffered towards the end.
Centre-back: Jonny Evans (123 goals / 6 apps) - 7.18 rating
Jonny Evans was hugely underappreciated during his time at United, which has become even more apparent over the last 12 months at Leicester. Sold in 2015, it wasn't long before Evans was linked with a return to Old Trafford, as well as moves to Arsenal and Manchester City. Evans started 49 of a possible 76 league matches during Alex Ferguson's final two seasons, benefitting from Vidic and Rio Ferdinand's injury problems. He played a direct hand in eight goals in that time.
Left-back: Patrice Evra (189 / 7 goals) - 7.28 rating
Patrice Evra left United five years ago and they are still trying to lock down a reliable replacement for him. Even towards the end of his time at United, Evra was an ever-present in the team, making at least 30 appearances in all five of his league campaigns after the turn of the decade. He saved his most prolific season for Ferguson's last in charge, where he had a direct hand in nine goals (four goals, five assists). The Frenchman notably averaged 2.6 tackles per 90 minutes across his last five seasons at United.
Right wing: Nani (127 apps / 25 goals) - 7.35 rating
Nani was slightly unfortunate he spent a large chunk of his time at United alongside compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo. He never really came close to filling the void left by Ronaldo but he still had two hugely successful seasons before eventually leaving the club in 2015 after eight years.
Nani played a direct hand in 35 goals in 64 league appearances between 2010 and the summer of 2011 and finished the 2010/11 campaign - a season United won by nine points - as the highest WhoScored rated player in the Premier League (7.71).
Central midfield: Michael Carrick (238 apps / 7 goals) - 6.99 rating
It took a while for United fans to really appreciate Michael Carrick's ability but it eventually shone through before his retirement in 2018. The 38-year-old finished his 12-year stint at Old Trafford as a fan favourite and helped United five major honours after 2010.
The fact, however, Carrick makes United's XI with such a modest WhoScored rating reiterates the feeling United have hugely under-invested in central midfield over the last decade. Carrick took over from Paul Scholes as the heartbeat of United's midfield and has unsurprisingly completed the most passess of all United player (13,343) this decade.
Central midfield: Paul Pogba (114 apps / 26 goals) - 7.38 rating
Paul Pogba's displays since making a blockbuster return from Juventus in 2016 have drawn polarising opinions but he undoubtedly possesses a skillset not seen by the club this decade. While it has not always been the case, the France international can certainly do a bit of everything and has often been a scapegoat for the club's woes on the pitch in the last three years. Pogba recently brought up 100 Premier League appearances for the club, in which he averages a goal or an assist almost every other game (0.49).
Left wing: Anthony Martial (145 apps / 42 goals) - 6.96 rating
Anthony Martial became an instant fan favourite at United after coming off the bench and scoring against arch-rivals Liverpool on his debut. Many will argue, including former United boss Jose Mourinho, the talented Frenchman has yet kicked on completely, illustrated by his less-than-impressive WhoScored rating since joining. Nevertheless, United know his potential and do not want him to bite them back in the future by becoming a world star somewhere else.
Nevertheless, Martial has played a direct hand in 64 goals in 145 appearances across the two tournaments at an average of a goal or an assist every 149 minutes of playing time.
Striker: Wayne Rooney (253 apps / 119 goals) - 7.37 rating
Many believe we did not see the best of Wayne Rooney after exploding onto the scene but he still enjoyed a sensational career and finished his time at United as an all-time legend, scoring more goals than any other player.
Despite being shunted around the pitch towards the end of his time at United, Rooney still managed to return 182 goals and assists in 253 appearances. After sacrificing himself for the greater good of the team, Rooney did become the main man at United at the turn of the decade and he flourished with at 80 goal involvements in 92 league and European appearances from 2010 to the summer of 2012.
Striker: Robin van Persie (98 apps / 55 goals) - 7.35 rating
Robin van Persie only spent three seasons at United but he made his presence felt immediately. Signed from Arsenal in 2012, the Dutchman fired United to a historic 20th league title in his first season in charge and allowed Ferguson to retire on a high.
Van Persie finished the 2012/13 campaign as the top scorer in the division with 26 goals. He played a direct hand in at least nine more goals than any other player (35 in 38 appearances). Furthermore, Van Persie is the only United player to manage at least 10 WhoScored Man of the Match awards in a single league-campaign this decade.
Notable omissions...
Ryan Giggs (6.94) - Giggs never managed more than 20 starts in a single-league campaign from 2010 onwards, as his career started to wind down. Despite turning 36 at the turn of the decade, Giggs impressively registered an assist every 213.6 minutes of playing time from 2010 to the end of the 2011/12 campaign - more frequently than any other United player. Excluding substitute appearances this decade, Giggs' rating jumps to 7.27.
Rio Ferdinand (6.97) - Regarded as one of the best defenders in the Premier League and arguably part of the best defensive partnership the division has ever seen, Ferdinand is unfortunate to miss out only for injuries to disrupt three of his five seasons after the turn of the decade. In fact, Ferdinand only reached 20 league starts in a single campaign twice in that time.
Paul Scholes (6.91) - Another United legend, Scholes only managed 83 appearances across the two tournaments from the turn of the decade and even came out of retirement in 2012 for a brief period. He never reached 20 league starts in a single campaign after 2010.
