Devils' sevens, past and present

PHOTO: ACTION IMAGES

With former No. 7 Eric Cantona calling for the iconic number to go to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, here's a look at the hits and misses of players who have donned the shirt for United.

THE HITS

George Best (years played 1963-74)

A United legend who was the club's top scorer in six consecutive seasons.

Bryan Robson (1981-94)

The club's longest-serving captain. Played 461 times for the club, scoring 99 goals.

Eric Cantona (1992-97)

Taking over both the number and the captaincy from Robson, he went on to win four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and three Charity shields.

David Beckham (1992-2003)

Best known for his free kicks, he was also a key figure in United's historic 1999 treble-winning year.

Cristiano Ronaldo (2003-09)

Signed immediately after playing a friendly for Sporting Lisbon against United, he went on to become the first Premier League player to win the Fifa World Player of the Year award.

THE MISSES

Michael Owen (2009-12)

Although he won the Premier League and League Cup in his three years at Old Trafford, he did not have a key role in any campaign.

Antonio Valencia (since 2009)

Taking over the shirt vacated by Owen after the Englishman's departure, it proved too much for him as he reverted to his original No. 25 after just one season.

Angel di Maria (2014-15)

The British transfer record signing failed to live up to his expectations under Louis van Gaal and was also unsettled living in Manchester. Left for Paris Saint-Germain the following season.

Memphis Depay (since 2015)

Another of van Gaal's signings and the current No. 7, he has yet to make an impact and is likely to be offloaded by Jose Mourinho.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 20, 2016, with the headline Devils' sevens, past and present. Subscribe