10 Best Manchester United Forwards of All Time
Updated: 5 days ago
Manchester United have been blessed with some outstanding forwards over the years.
Some were prolific goalscorers. Others were creators, match-winners or players who seemed to produce their best football when the pressure was highest.
That makes ranking the greatest Manchester United forwards of all time a difficult job.
The club's history includes the famous attacking trio of George Best, Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton, the goalscoring brilliance of Wayne Rooney, the charisma of Eric Cantona and the extraordinary rise of Cristiano Ronaldo.
There are also players such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mark Hughes, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who each left their own mark on the club. So, who deserves to be considered the greatest Man United forward of all time?
The 10 Best Manchester United Forwards of All Time
This ranking considers a player's goals, individual ability, longevity, influence, major honours, importance to successful United teams and overall legacy at the club. It is not simply a list of United's highest goalscorers. A forward's influence on the team and the era in which he played also matters.
10. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (1996-2007)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not have been a regular starter throughout his Man Utd career, but his contribution to the club's history is impossible to ignore. The Norwegian scored 126 goals for United and became one of the most popular players of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Solskjaer was an outstanding finisher, but his ability to make an impact from the bench became one of his defining qualities. His most famous moment came in the 1999 Champions League final.
With United trailing Bayern Munich in Barcelona, Solskjaer came off the bench and scored the winning goal in stoppage time, completing one of the most dramatic comebacks in European football.
That goal alone would have secured his place in United folklore, but Solskjaer's overall record was much more substantial.
He won multiple Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Champions League during a hugely successful period for the club. He was the ultimate impact forward and one of the finest substitutes football has produced.
9. Andy Cole (1995-2001)
Andy Cole was one of the most important forwards in Man United's late-1990s attack. Signed from Newcastle United, Cole eventually formed a formidable partnership with Dwight Yorke, particularly during the historic 1998/99 campaign.
Cole scored 121 goals for United and was part of the team that won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.
His game was not only about finishing. Cole's movement, ability to stretch defences and willingness to work for the team made him an important part of Ferguson's attacking system.
He also produced some memorable European performances and remained a major contributor during one of the most successful periods in Manchester United's history.
8. Mark Hughes (1980-1986, 1988-1995)
Mark Hughes had two spells at Man United, and both helped establish him as one of the club's most respected forwards. He scored 163 goals across his United career, according to the club.
Hughes was a powerful and intelligent forward who could score in different ways. He had the physical strength to compete with defenders but also possessed the technical ability to link play and bring teammates into the game.
His second spell at United was particularly important. Hughes returned to Old Trafford in the late 1980s and became part of the side that helped Ferguson build the foundations for the success that followed.
He won the FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup during his second spell and played a major role in the club's development before the Premier League era truly took off.
For sheer character and importance to United's transition into the Ferguson years, Hughes deserves his place among the club's greatest forwards.
7. Ruud van Nistelrooy (2001-2006)
If the job was simply to choose the best natural goalscorer on this list, Ruud van Nistelrooy would have a very strong case for an even higher position. The Dutch striker was a specialist.
Give van Nistelrooy an opportunity inside the penalty area, and there was a very good chance the ball would end up in the net.
He scored 150 goals for the Red Devils and became one of the most feared strikers in European football during his time at Old Trafford. Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League Golden Boot and helped United win the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield. His finishing was exceptional.
He was particularly dangerous around the six-yard box and had an instinct for finding space that made him one of the most effective penalty-box strikers of his generation.
His United career was shorter than those of some of the players above him, which is the main reason he does not rank higher. But when it came to putting the ball in the net, few United forwards were better.
6. Eric Cantona (1992-1997)
Eric Cantona changed Manchester United. The Frenchman arrived from Leeds United in 1992 and quickly became the attacking focal point of a team that was about to dominate English football.
Cantona scored 82 goals in 182 appearances for United. Those numbers do not fully explain his importance. He was a goalscorer, creator, leader and source of confidence for the players around him.
Cantona's arrival coincided with United winning the inaugural Premier League title in 1992/93, ending a 26-year wait for a league championship. He then helped the club win three more Premier League titles during his four-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford.
His influence was particularly obvious in the 1995/96 campaign. Cantona returned from his lengthy suspension and helped United win another league and FA Cup Double, scoring in the FA Cup final against Liverpool. There was also the personality.
The turned-up collar, the confidence, the famous celebrations and the unmistakable aura made Cantona one of the defining figures of the Premier League's early years. For many United supporters, he will always be higher than sixth.
5. George Best (1963-1974)
George Best was one of the most naturally gifted footballers ever to play for Man United. He was not a traditional centre-forward. Best could operate from wide areas, drift inside, take on defenders and create chances seemingly at will.
That is precisely why he belongs in a list of United's greatest forwards. Best made his first-team debut as a teenager and went on to make 470 appearances, scoring 179 goals for the club.
He was part of the legendary United team built by Sir Matt Busby and became one of the three members of the famous "United Trinity" alongside Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. His greatest individual achievement came in 1968 when he helped United win their first European Cup.
Best scored in the semi-final against Real Madrid and then scored again in the final against Benfica as United became the first English club to lift the European Cup. He also won the Ballon d'Or in 1968.
There have been many great Man United players, but very few have possessed Best's combination of skill, balance, speed and natural flair. He was football's first genuine global superstar.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (2003–2009 & 2021–2022)
Cristiano Ronaldo's first spell at Man United saw the transformation of a talented young winger into one of the best players in world football. When he arrived from Sporting CP, Ronaldo was an exciting but raw teenager.
By the end of his first United career, he was a devastating attacking player capable of scoring from almost anywhere. Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 appearances during his first spell at the club. He later returned and added another 27 goals, finishing with 145 goals in 346 appearances across the two spells.
His greatest United season came in 2007/08. Ronaldo scored 42 goals in all competitions as United won the Premier League and Champions League, and he collected the Ballon d'Or at the end of the year. He was no longer simply a winger.
His movement, acceleration, aerial ability, shooting and finishing had developed into the complete attacking package. Ronaldo eventually left for Real Madrid and went on to become one of the greatest goalscorers in football history.
His second spell at United was far more complicated, but his first spell alone would have been enough to secure his place among the club's greatest forwards.
3. Denis Law (1962-1973)
Denis Law was one of the greatest goalscorers in Man United history. Known as the "Lawman", the Scottish forward scored 237 goals in 404 appearances for the club. His partnership with Bobby Charlton and George Best created one of the most famous attacking combinations in English football.
The three players offered something different. Charlton provided power and intelligence, Best brought extraordinary skill, and Law provided aggression, movement and ruthless finishing.
Law won the Ballon d'Or in 1964 and helped United win two league titles, while also playing a central role in the club's rise during the 1960s. His contribution to United's first European Cup-winning side is also part of the story, although injury meant he missed the 1968 final itself.
Brian Kidd deputised for him that night as United beat Benfica 4-1. Law remains one of the most iconic forwards in United history. His statue outside Old Trafford, alongside Best and Charlton, reflects the importance of that famous attacking trio.
2. Sir Bobby Charlton (1956-1973)
Sir Bobby Charlton was much more than a goalscorer. He was one of the defining players in Manchester United's history and a central figure in the club's recovery following the Munich Air Disaster.
Charlton made 758 appearances for United and scored 249 goals. For many years, those 249 goals made him the club's all-time leading scorer. He was eventually overtaken by Wayne Rooney, but Charlton's place in United history goes far beyond the goalscoring record.
He survived Munich, helped rebuild the club under Sir Matt Busby and became one of the leading figures in the team that won the European Cup in 1968. Charlton scored twice in the final against Benfica as United became the first English club to win European football's biggest club prize.
He also won three league titles with United and was part of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team. His ability to score spectacular goals from distance, his intelligence and his longevity made him one of the most complete attacking players of his generation.
Charlton's legacy is difficult to match.
But there is one United forward whose combination of goals, longevity, versatility and trophies gives him the edge in this particular ranking.
1. Wayne Rooney (2004-2017)
Wayne Rooney is the greatest Man United forward of all time. It is a bold statement when the list contains players such as Charlton, Best, Law, Ronaldo and Cantona. But Rooney has an exceptionally strong case.
He is Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals. More importantly, Rooney was far more than a goalscorer. He could play as a centre-forward, second striker, attacking midfielder or from a wider position.
He could finish moves, create chances, press defenders, cross the ball and drop into midfield when his team needed him. That versatility became one of his greatest strengths. Rooney arrived at Old Trafford as a teenager and developed into one of the defining players of the Ferguson era.
He won 16 major trophies with United, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League. He also produced some extraordinary moments.
There was the spectacular overhead kick against Manchester City, the long-range strike against Newcastle United, his Champions League performances and countless goals in matches where United needed a difference-maker.
Rooney eventually surpassed Charlton's long-standing goalscoring record, scoring his 250th United goal against Stoke City before finishing his career at the club with 253. The numbers tell only part of the story.
Rooney represented the modern Red Devils' forward: aggressive, technically gifted, versatile, competitive and capable of changing a game in several different ways.
That combination gives him the edge.
Manchester United's Greatest Forwards Ranked
Rank | Player | United goals |
1 | Wayne Rooney | 253 |
2 | Sir Bobby Charlton | 249 |
3 | Denis Law | 237 |
4 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 145 |
5 | George Best | 179 |
6 | Eric Cantona | 82 |
7 | Ruud van Nistelrooy | 150 |
8 | Mark Hughes | 163 |
9 | Andy Cole | 121 |
10 | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 126 |
Goal totals are Manchester United career figures; the ranking is based on overall contribution and legacy rather than goals alone.
Who Is Manchester United's Greatest Forward?
For this ranking, Wayne Rooney takes the top spot. Sir Bobby Charlton has an outstanding claim because of his longevity, achievements and importance to the club's history.
Denis Law and George Best were members of the famous United Trinity, while Eric Cantona transformed the club's fortunes in the early Premier League era.
Cristiano Ronaldo developed into one of the world's greatest players during his first spell at Old Trafford. But Rooney combines almost everything you could want from a Man Utd forward.
He scored more goals than anyone else, won major trophies, produced memorable moments and could influence games in several different positions. That makes him our choice as the greatest Manchester United forward of all time.
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