Ranking every Manchester United No.10 of the Premier League era | OneFootball

Matheus Cunha has been handed the honour of wearing the number ten shirt at Manchester United for the upcoming campaign.

The summer signing will inherit a shirt previously worn by iconic figures in the club’s history. Prior to squad numbers being introduced in the Premier League in 1993/94, some of the club’s all-time greats, including Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, adorned the shirt.

In the Premier League era, just a handful of stars have had the shirt on a permanent basis. We’ve ranked each of them.

Ranking every Manchester United No.10 of the Premier League era

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic certainly made an impact after arriving at Manchester United in 2016. Reuniting with ex-Inter boss Jose Mourinho, the Swedish superstar scored 28 goals during his debut season.

However, Ibrahimovic’s exploits came in the number nine before a serious knee injury curtailed his campaign. He returned in 2017/18 in the number 10, with his previous shirt assigned to new signing Romelu Lukaku. Ibrahimovic made just seven appearances after his injury before departing for MLS side LA Galaxy.

6. David Beckham

David Beckham’s best came with the number seven on his back, a shirt he took on following Eric Cantona’s exit in 1997. The previous season saw Beckham wear 10, in which he scored 12 goals in all competitions as United won the title.

That haul included that goal against Wimbledon, scored from inside his own half.

5. Mark Hughes

The first incumbent of the number 10 shirt in the Premier League era, Hughes had the honour during the first two campaigns of squad numbers.

The first of those saw the Welshman score 22 goals in all competitions as Manchester United won a Premier League and FA Cup double.

A fruitful partnership with Eric Cantona delivered silverware with Hughes becoming just the second player to net in the League Cup and FA Cup finals in the same season. ‘Sparky’ netted 12 times in 1994/95 before departing for Chelsea.

4. Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford took on the number 10 shirt from the 2018/19 season, having worn 39 and 19 during his initial emergence. Rashford was a rare positive during a tough time for the Red Devils before his unceremonious fallout last season.

The forward scored 20+ goals in consecutive campaigns in 2019/20 and 2020/21 before a career-best 30 in 2022/23. That season he became the first Manchester United player in a decade to reach 30 goals in a single campaign.

3. Teddy Sheringham

Sir Alex Ferguson sought an experienced option to replace Eric Cantona in 1997, agreeing a deal to bring in Teddy Sheringham from Tottenham Hotspur. The forward took time to settle but soon became a crucial cog in the club’s success.

Sheringham netted in the finals of the FA Cup and Champions League as Manchester United won a historic treble in 1998/99, before starring during the club’s title success two years later.

He was named PFA Footballer of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year in 2000/01 after scoring 21 goals, in what was his final season at Old Trafford. Sheringham returned to Spurs having scored 46 goals in 154 games for the Red Devils. However, it was the timing of his goals, rather than quantity, that earns him a place high up this list.

2. Ruud van Nistelrooy

A goal machine. After a serious knee injury scuppered a transfer a year earlier, Manchester United’s decision to wait for Ruud van Nistelrooy was vindicated.

The Dutchman took the league by storm after arriving from PSV Eindhoven, claiming the PFA Player of the Year award in his debut campaign. He claimed the Premier League’s Golden Boot after firing Manchester United to the title a season later, in what was a prolific period at Old Trafford.

Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in just 219 games and ended seasons as the Champions League’s leading scorer on three occasions. However, just one league title was a disappointing return given his remarkable goalscoring record.

1. Wayne Rooney

Manchester United’s record scorer and one of the most complete footballers the Premier League has seen.

Wayne Rooney signed from Everton as a teenager and announced his arrival with a Champions League hat-trick on debut. From there, the goals continued to flow, with a record-breaking 253 taking him past Bobby Charlton’s club record.

Rooney won a whopping 16 major trophies and is the only footballer in Premier League history to reach 200+ goals and 100+ assists. A footballer who could – and did – do it all.

Read – The most surprising transfers of the summer so far

See more – Five players who could return to the Premier League this summer

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