10 Best Manchester United Number Seven of All-Time

The No.7 shirt at Manchester United carries a history few shirt numbers can match. Over the years, it has been worn by some of the greatest players to represent the club, including George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United themselves have highlighted those five players when celebrating the history of the iconic shirt.

Some No.7s became global superstars. Others had shorter spells at Old Trafford but still produced memorable moments while wearing the famous number.

So, who are the 10 best Manchester United No.7s of all time?

Below Are The 10 Best Manchester United Number Seven Players of All Time

This ranking considers what each player achieved at Manchester United while wearing the No.7 shirt, alongside their overall contribution, influence, major honours and lasting legacy.

10. Ángel Di María

• Years at Man Utd: 2014-2015

• Appearances: 32 | Goals: 4 | Assists: 12

Angel Di Maria arrived at Manchester United with huge expectations after helping Real Madrid win the Champions League.

Wearing the famous No.7 shirt, the Argentine showed flashes of the quality that had made him one of Europe's most exciting attacking players.

His first season produced 12 assists and several memorable performances, but injuries and inconsistency prevented him from reaching the level many expected.

After only one season at Old Trafford, Di Maria moved to Paris Saint-Germain. His United career was brief, but his place among the club's No.7s remains notable because of the quality he had already shown elsewhere and the expectations surrounding his arrival.

9. Alexis Sanchez

• Years at Man Utd: 2018-2020

• Appearances: 45 | Goals: 5 | Assists: 9

Alexis Sanchez inherited the No.7 shirt when he joined Manchester United from Arsenal, arriving with a reputation as one of the Premier League's most dangerous attacking players.

There were flashes of his ability, including a memorable FA Cup semi-final goal against Tottenham, but his United career never developed into the success supporters had hoped for.

Sanchez scored five goals in 45 appearances before eventually leaving for Inter Milan. His time at Old Trafford was disappointing compared with the expectations surrounding his arrival, but he remains part of the long and varied history of the Manchester United No.7 shirt.

8. Edinson Cavani

• Years at Man Utd: 2020-2022

• Appearances: 59 | Goals: 17 | Assists: 3

Edinson Cavani arrived at Manchester United with a reputation as a world-class goalscorer and quickly won over supporters with his movement, finishing and relentless work rate.

The Uruguayan forward scored some important goals during his time at Old Trafford and became particularly popular for the intensity he brought to his performances.

Cavani originally wore No.7 after joining United, but gave the shirt to Cristiano Ronaldo when the Portuguese forward returned to the club in 2021. Manchester United officially confirmed Cavani's No.7 shirt at the time of his arrival.

His spell at United was relatively short, but his professionalism and commitment made him a memorable modern wearer of the famous number.

7. Michael Owen

• Years at Man Utd: 2009-2012

• Appearances: 52 | Goals: 17 | Assists: 3

Michael Owen's move to Manchester United was one of the more unexpected transfers of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

The former Liverpool and England striker had already established himself as one of Europe's most prolific forwards, but injuries had affected his career by the time he arrived at Old Trafford.

Owen still produced important moments in a short United career, most famously scoring the dramatic late winner against Manchester City in the 2009 Manchester derby.

He also won the Premier League during his time at the club. Owen did not have the longevity of some of the other players on this list, but his decisive moments earned him a place among United's No.7s.

6. Antonio Valencia

• Years at Man Utd: 2009-2019

• Appearances: 339 | Goals: 25 | Assists: 62

Antonio Valencia may not have had the natural flair associated with some of the other players on this list, but his consistency made him an important Manchester United player for almost a decade.

The Ecuadorian winger eventually converted into a right-back, becoming one of the most reliable defenders of his generation at the club.

Valencia's time wearing No.7 was relatively brief compared with his overall United career, but his contribution to the team remained significant.

He won two Premier League titles and the FA Cup with United, while his work rate, strength and versatility made him one of the club's most dependable players during the post-Ferguson period.

5. Bryan Robson

• Years at Man Utd: 1981-1994

• Appearances: 461 | Goals: 99 | Assists: 3

Before Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo made the No.7 shirt famous around the world, Bryan Robson established it as a symbol of leadership at Manchester United.

Known as "Captain Marvel", Robson was a powerful midfielder who combined athleticism, technical ability and an exceptional competitive edge.

He captained United for more than a decade and became the club's longest-serving captain, making 461 appearances. Robson won three FA Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup with United, including the memorable 1991 triumph over Barcelona.

His influence went beyond goals and assists. Robson became the standard against which later United No.7s were measured, and his leadership remains an important part of the shirt's history.

4. David Beckham

• Years at Man Utd: 1993-2003

• Appearances: 394 | Goals: 85 | Assists: 120

David Beckham became one of the most recognisable footballers in the world while wearing No.7 for Manchester United.

His crossing, free-kicks and passing range made him one of the most dangerous creators in the Premier League, while his work rate allowed him to contribute defensively as well.

Beckham was a key member of the United team that dominated English football during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League, including the historic Treble in 1999.

His influence also extended beyond the pitch, as his global popularity helped Manchester United become an even bigger worldwide sporting brand. But it was his performances on the pitch that established Beckham as one of the greatest No.7s in the club's history.

3. Eric Cantona

• Years at Man Utd: 1992-1997

• Appearances: 183 | Goals: 81 | Assists: 62

Eric Cantona brought a different kind of personality to the Manchester United No.7 shirt. The Frenchman arrived from Leeds United in 1992 and quickly became the attacking focal point of Sir Alex Ferguson's emerging side.

Cantona combined technique, vision and confidence with an ability to produce important goals when United needed them. He helped the club win four Premier League titles and two FA Cups during his five-year spell at Old Trafford. His influence was about more than numbers.

Cantona became a symbol of United's transformation into the dominant force of the early Premier League era, and his famous No.7 shirt became closely associated with the image of "King Eric".

Manchester United's own history records Cantona wearing the No.7 shirt after taking over from Bryan Robson.

2. George Best

• Years at Man Utd: 1963-1974

• Appearances: 470 | Goals: 179 | Assists: 10

George Best was one of the most naturally gifted players ever to wear the Manchester United shirt.

The Northern Irishman combined extraordinary dribbling ability with speed, balance and an eye for goal, making him one of the most exciting players of his generation.

Best was a central figure in the Manchester United team that won the European Cup in 1968, scoring in the final against Benfica. He also won the Ballon d'Or that same year, becoming the first player from a British club to receive the award.

Best's career at United lasted more than a decade and produced 179 goals in 470 appearances. His talent and personality made him one of the earliest players to turn the Manchester United No.7 shirt into a truly global symbol.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

• Years at Man Utd: 2003-2009, 2021-2022

• Appearances: 346 | Goals: 145 | Assists: 64

Cristiano Ronaldo is the greatest Manchester United No.7 of all time. When he arrived at Old Trafford as a teenager in 2003, Ronaldo was an exciting but raw winger.

By the time he left for Real Madrid six years later, he had developed into one of the best players in world football. His first spell produced three Premier League titles, the Champions League and his first Ballon d'Or.

The 2007/08 season was particularly remarkable, with Ronaldo scoring 42 goals in all competitions as United won the Premier League and Champions League.

His return to the club brought another 27 goals and some memorable performances, although his second spell was considerably shorter. Across his two periods at Manchester United, Ronaldo finished with 346 appearances, 145 goals and 64 assists.

Man United's No.7 shirt has been worn by some extraordinary players, but Ronaldo's combination of individual brilliance, goals, trophies and global influence gives him the strongest claim to the number's greatest legacy at Old Trafford.

Table: Manchester United's Greatest Number Seven Players In History Ranked

Who Is Manchester United's Greatest No.7?

Cristiano Ronaldo takes the top spot because his time wearing the shirt combined exceptional individual performances with major team success.

George Best has an outstanding claim, particularly because of his extraordinary talent and importance to the European Cup-winning team of 1968. Eric Cantona transformed Manchester United's fortunes in the early Premier League era, while David Beckham and Bryan Robson gave the number their own distinctive identities.

That is what makes the No.7 shirt so interesting at Manchester United. It has never belonged to one particular type of player.

The shirt has been worn by wingers, midfielders, forwards and attacking players, with each generation adding something different to its history.

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