Source: Daily_Mail
Alex Ferguson's greatest ever XI
ShareThe incredible Sir Alex Ferguson has won an unprecedented 12th Premier League title - the club's record-breaking 19th championship - and the great man, like fans the world over, can only speculate what his finest Manchester United line-up would be. Today, Sportsmail can tell him. [LNB]And there is no room in it for Cristiano Ronaldo, the former World Player of the Year, nor would any of the great strikers - like Mark Hughes, Dwight Yorke or Ruud van Nistelrooy - make the cut. [LNB] TOP APPEARANCES BY FERGIE'S TITLE-WINNING PLAYERS1 Ryan Giggs 3732 Paul Scholes 2733 Gary Neville 2204 Denis Irwin 2195 Roy Keane 2006 David Beckham 1967 Peter Schmeichel 1888 Nicky Butt 1699 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 16710 Phil Neville 153[LNB]We have totted up the number of starts each player has made in United's Premier League title-winning seasons - surely the ultimate test - and put together a team even Ferguson could only dream about sending out. [LNB]Inevitably, the No 1 shirt would be worn by Peter Schmeichel, who won five championships and was captain that famous night in Barcelona when Ferguson won his first Champions League. [LNB]Right-back Gary Neville is a shoo-in with his eight titles while, at left-back, Denis Irwin's seven gives him the edge over Patrice Evra - although the Frenchman, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, has time to add to his haul of four. [LNB]The central defensive partnership of Gary Pallister and Rio Ferdinand shows that Ferguson was once happy to spend Manchester City-style transfer fees; both cost United British transfer records in their day. [LNB]TOP GOALSCORERS1 Ryan Giggs 692 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 683 Cristiano Ronaldo 664 Andy Cole 635 Paul Scholes 586 Eric Cantona 527 Wayne Rooney 498 Dwight Yorke 479 David Beckham 4210 Dimitar Berbatov 30[LNB]Into midfield and, on the right, David Beckham edges out Ronaldo. Why? Simply because the Portuguese did not hang around long enough. [LNB]Roy Keane and Paul Scholes were the central midfield fulcrum of the first United team to win three titles in a row, so no surprise there, and on the left the peerless Ryan Giggs, with 12 titles, stands out even among all the other superstars. [LNB]Up front saw the stiffest competition but Eric Cantona's influence was even greater than his 52 goals in 121 starts for championship sides. [LNB]And Wayne Rooney, having decided to stay at the club earlier in the season then scoring the goal that sealed the title, could end up the greatest of them all. [LNB] Rooney shaves 19 into his chest to celebrate United's record title triumphRooney reveals practice makes perfect as United striker scores from the spot to claim 19th titleBlackburn 1 Manchester Utd 1: Rooney holds his nerve to seal record 19th title triumphAll the latest Man United news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Paul Scholes, Alex Ferguson, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes, Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney, Dwight Yorke, Dimitar Berbatov, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, Gary Neville, Gary Pallister Places: Barcelona
