Who are United's most unsung players?

Nonetheless, it is a debate we have been having, as I’ve asked a number of my colleagues for their expert opinion.

By virtue of being largely unsung, you would imagine such individuals would rarely have the spotlight shone upon them, but we all know anybody who represents the Reds rightly garners a great deal of attention.

However, we have attempted to select United men who may have been a little under-appreciated over the passage of time. Our writers and presenters have come up with their suggestions and pieced together an argument as to why their selection is worthy of consideration.

Please get involved on our social channels to add your own thoughts on this topic and let us know who has been wrongly excluded from the discussion!

Rafael (Adam Marshall):

"I was torn between two choices - Rafael or Remi Moses - but have plumped for the Brazilian in the end, not purely because I feel we will inevitably be concentrating on the more recent era. He just seemed so perfect for United, with his commitment on the pitch and warm personality off it. I was genuinely gutted when he left and felt he always added something to the team with his tenacity and attacking intent. I remember the first time I saw him play was in a pre-season friendly at Peterborough and I instantly felt he was first-team material and would not need time in the Reserves. One criticism I've seen of him is he was occasionally rash, but this is slanted by the costly red card against Bayern Munich and possibly the penalty he conceded against Leicester City's Jamie Vardy in the 5-3 defeat, which I thought was a ridiculous decision anyway! My over-riding impression of him is his fearlessness and cheerful persona. I absolutely loved his attitude! Maybe that gives him the edge on Remi, whom I've never met unfortunately, which is extremely unfair on the midfielder, who was under-rated despite being an excellent signing by Ron Atkinson. He was another tigerish performer, whose hard graft allowed others to flourish."

Clayton Blackmore (Paul Davies):

"Clayton gave so much to United but, for me, is a player whose worth is often understated. He played 245 times, scored against Liverpool, Arsenal, City and at Wembley, and was in the right place at the right time to ensure the European Cup Winners’ Cup was on the plane home from Rotterdam in 1991. Having come through the Reds’ youth ranks, the Wales international emerged as a valuable squad member able to play in a number of positions. Indeed, Clayton was among those regularly called upon during Bryan Robson’s injury absences to play in midfield. Then, as his career progressed, overcoming his own injury issues, he established himself as much more than just a utility player. By 1990/91, he’d emerged as an extremely capable left-back, enjoying his finest season for the Reds. Denis Irwin, one of our all-time great left-backs, played on the right in his debut campaign with the pair providing solidity down our defensive flanks. Where Blackmore deserves real credit is that he had that rare ability of popping up at the right time with a valuable contribution. He scored our 86th-minute winner at Hereford in our successful FA Cup run in 1990. The following season, he got our goal in the Charity Shield draw with Liverpool. Then he kicked off our Cup Winners’ Cup run with a brilliant swerving shot against Pecsi Munkas in the opening round. He helped keep the run going with a free-kick at Montpellier. And, in the final against Johan Cruyff’s brilliant Barcelona side, he cleared a Michael Laudrup shot off his own goal-line. His stunning free-kick at Leeds in the League Cup quarter-final in January 1992 is also well worth a watch. A player’s part in United folklore is usually measured by their overall contribution, and almost 250 games certainly state a worthy case. But where he deserves more credit is the quality of his contribution as Alex Ferguson’s team finally began the rise to greatness, a rise in which he more than played his part. 

Antonio Valencia (Stewart Gardner):

"Antonio Valencia left United just as he arrived – with no fuss or fanfare. Yet his Old Trafford career stands in comparison with any of the last decade or so. The bare facts: 339 appearances, 25 goals and a trophy haul that includes two Premier Leagues, the FA Cup, Europa League and a couple of League Cups – a pretty good return on the £16 million United paid Wigan in the summer of 2009! He faced the pressure of having to fill the boots of a once-in-a-generation talent like Ronaldo, who’d left for Madrid. He built a fantastic understanding with Wayne Rooney – our all-time leading scorer’s most fruitful seasons coincided with some of Valencia’s best wing-play. At times, it seemed as though every swish of Valencia’s right boot led to the ball being laser-guided to Rooney’s forehead – he scored 34 in each of those campaigns. Sixteen assists in 2011-12 led to Valencia being named United’s Player of the Season. Never one for the limelight, it was fitting that the shy Ecuadorean received the credit he deserved and the fact that he was also named Players' Player of the Year showed the esteem in which he was held. Only 18 months or so previously, he’d suffered a horrible ankle injury against Rangers in the Champions League. It says everything about his character and determination that – not only did he recover – he came back to have perhaps the best season in his United career in the following campaign. In his later years at United, he was recast as a right back – a role that Jose Mourinho says he wanted Valencia to fill at Real Madrid when he was in charge at the Bernabeu. But he stayed at United and continued to be a first-team regular – 43 appearances in 2016/17 when he skippered United to more trophies. Despite being the on-field captain in the Carabao Cup and Europa League finals, Valencia didn’t lift the silverware – humble to the end, he left that to others. His final appearance was the disappointing defeat by Cardiff on the final day of last season. A quick wave to the fans on the lap of appreciation at the end and then he was gone – back to his native Ecuador where he continues to serve LDU Quito with distinction. No fuss, the limelight shunned, the ultimate team man. The most Premier League appearances ever made by a South American player - an unsung hero."

Mikael Silvestre (Ben Ashby):

"It's harder for defenders to be heroes. No surprise, then, that when you start to think about unsung heroes in United red, you soon find candidates at the blue-collar end of the field. Such as Mikael Silvestre. Inter Milan to Manchester United may be a transfer gilded with stardust, but a glamour player Silvestre was not. The French defender, who served at centre-back and left-back, had a functional rather than frilly style of play. Maybe he didn't have the razzle-dazzle of Rio Ferdinand. Maybe he didn't have the footwork of Patrice Evra. But he was solid, professional and adaptable. And not without his own attacking bursts from left-back, or bombing long-range diagonal passes, by the way (or indeed the odd headed goal – just ask Liverpool). Signed by Alex in September 1999 (a feather in any player's cap in itself), he then served nine seasons under the great man, from 1999/2000 to 2007/08. The last two of those may have been restricted by injury and fierce competition, but, in his first seven seasons straight, he played at least 30 Premier League games, and contributed 50 appearances or more overall in three of those campaigns. He racked up 361 Reds games in total, enough to put him inside the club's all-time top 50 appearance-makers list. Then there are the medals. Four Premier League titles. An FA Cup. A League Cup. A couple of Community Shields. An Intercontinental Cup. Even a Champions League (yes, Mikael was on the bench in Moscow in 2008). The fact that Sir Alex so regularly selected him over a long period of time – and invariably picked him in the big games – says enough about Mickey. In the words of Ferguson himself when Silvestre was allowed to leave for Arsenal, he was 'a great servant and a wonderful professional'."

David Beckham (Mark Sullivan):

"Some may feel that David Beckham isn’t really an unsung hero. I mean he’s one of the most famous men on the planet. He’s often been recognised for his contributions to sport, fashion, charity and haircuts! So is he really an unsung hero? Well, in terms of his contribution to United’s domestic dominance in the 1990s then, in my opinion, yes, he really is. Rarely does Becks get much of a mention in a side which was blessed with a plethora of world-class performers. Other legends seem to garner much more attention. But Becks’ contribution was equally significant. Ask Yorke and Cole how important Beckham's pinpoint passing was to their goal tally. Ask Paul Scholes how Becks’ incredible work-rate allowed him more freedom to hurt the opposition with his technical brilliance. Ask the notoriously difficult-to-please Roy Keane how tough both physically and mentally his colleague was to cope with being a target for both hostile away fans and, sometimes, opponents with a point to prove. David had a bit of everything. He had the respect of his team-mates, his manager and our amazing fans. Yet he never had his own regular terrace chant. Many lesser lights could boast one of them! At his peak, David Beckham was right up there with the finest midfielders in the world. His manager knew it. His team-mates knew it. But pick your best-ever Manchester United XI and I’d wager that most people will, at most, have Becks on the bench. That’s absolutely no slight on the former England captain but, for example, if you’re choosing a right-sided midfielder, do you go for Becks or Cristiano Ronaldo? He probably doesn't get into central midfield either. That’s why Becks is an unsung hero and, on the pitch, he didn’t mind that. Off it, you could argue it’s a different matter! But as a midfield maestro, with 85 goals in 394 games over a 10-year period in which he won 14 trophies, puts him among the Manchester United elite. Now time to get working on his song..."

Ji-sung Park (Steve Bartram):

"The truest of unsung heroes are usually those most appreciated by their team-mates. Ask any member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2005-2012 squad about the importance of Ji-sung Park in the Reds’ domination of England, Europe and the world, and the praise immediately starts gushing. Nicknamed ‘three-lung Park’ for his perpetual motion and incessant harrying of opponents, the versatile South Korean midfielder not only greased the wheels of United’s tactics; he also coagulated opposing approaches whenever required. After being man-marked by the Korean to devastating effect during AC Milan’s 2010 Champions League defeat to the Reds, Andrea Pirlo later noted: “They’d programmed him to stop me. His devotion to the task was almost touching.” A regular starter in United’s biggest games, Park was a frequent goalscorer against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, but his best work was carried out in the shadows. Seven seasons of spadework at Old Trafford yielded nine major honours and the most glowing of tributes from Sir Alex, who said: “Ji played for the team and whatever role you gave him, he would stick to that role. He was a really wonderful, disciplined professional for us."

Danny Welbeck (Sam Carney):

"Danny Welbeck may not have been the most prolific forward in Reds history, and his best season in a United shirt – 2011/12 – is somewhat tarnished by the heartbreaking manner in which we lost out on the Premier League title. But, for three campaigns, the local lad was a vital component of our attack, firstly as a foil for Wayne Rooney at his devastating best and then as a quick, high-pressing winger to accommodate the individual brilliance of Robin van Persie. ‘Welbz’ may have scored just once in 27 appearances as we swept to our last title in 2013, but his importance to the side was clear, with Rooney himself recently admitting that he ‘loved’ playing alongside the hard-working Academy product. Danny’s eventual frustration with being forced out wide was part of the reason he sought pastures new, but I feel he never got the plaudits he deserved, especially for that fantastic 2011/12 campaign, when some of the moves him and Rooney conjured up were reminiscent of Yorke and Cole at their finest. I also think Marouane Fellaini is another name worthy of consideration in this discussion, as he made some valuable contributions for the Reds during his time here - including vital semi-final strikes in each of our last three major trophy wins."

Carlos Tevez (Joe Ganley):
"Surely few ex-players reside in the ‘unsung-hero’ category more comprehensively than Carlos Tevez. In a very literal sense. Because no right-minded Red would ever sing his name these days, due to his defection to Manchester City and the unfortunately very effective role he played during the latter stages of the painful 2011/12 title race. But let's be honest: Tevez was a hell of a player and, at one time, a huge hero. A dream strike-partner for Rooney in the truly great side of 2007-09, he was close to the ideal embodiment of what a United forward should be: aggressive, committed, hard and technically gifted. With players like Rooney and Tevez up top, opponents could barely get past our attack, never mind our defence! Letting the Argentinian rascal go must ultimately rank as a mistake, though both parties will feel things could have been done differently to prolong the relationship. It’s hard to remember we once chanted: ‘Who's that man we all adore? He's our superstar Tevez, and forever at United, he will score.’ But we did. And nothing can change Tevez’s part in our third European Cup (and he would have scored one of the all-time great United goals in Moscow, but for Petr Cech). But unsung he will remain, and rightly so. Sorry, Carlos."

Jonny Evans (Michael Plant):

"For the better part of a decade, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were unquestionably the most reliable defensive partnership in English - and possibly world - football. Yet even the most infallible of players are not immune to injuries and suspensions, and the pair certainly had their fair share of both. That’s where Jonny came in. No-one wants to play back-up. No-one wants to bide their time or wait to be handed an opportunity, but coming though the United youth ranks in the late 2000s, that’s exactly what Evans had to do. Not that the Northern Irishman ever looked out of place when he was thrown into the side, be that at Stamford Bridge on his Reds league debut, in the Club World Cup or in a Wembley cup final, Jonny took it all in his stride and excelled under the pressure and expectation. In many ways, the centre-back had a mix of Ferdinand’s composure on the ball and Vidic’s daunting physical presence. He even adapted his game depending which of the pair he was partnered alongside, and the biggest compliment that can be paid to Evans is that United never looked weakened by his inclusion. Many tipped Jonny to become the focal point of the Reds' defence for years to come after Rio and Nemanja’s departures, but our former no.6 left United just a year later. Since then, Jonny has continued to demonstrate his quality at club level and on the international scene. The Leicester City defender has not missed a single league game in 2019/20 and has been pivotal in the Foxes’ excellent campaign to date. Nobody around Old Trafford will deny Jonny any of the success he’s gone on to achieve since leaving the club, and the 32-year-old is always assured of a warm reception every time he returns to the Theatre of Dreams."

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