Manchester United's best ever XI ... The second forward 💥 | OneFootball

With the football on hold at the moment, we’ve been thinking about who gets in Manchester United’s all-time XI.

Yesterday we chose our first forward. Today we’re choosing the second.

Here are the nominees …

3rd – Jack Rowley

Rowley was one of the stars of Matt Busby’s first great post-war United side.

He joined the club from Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic in 1937 and spent 17 years at Old Trafford in total, during which time he helped win the 1948 FA Cup and the 1952 First Division title.

His lethal left foot earned him the nickname Gunner and he scored an incredible 211 goals in 424 appearances, putting him fourth on the all-time scorers list.

2nd – Ruud van Nistelrooy

Van Nistelrooy’s transfer to United very nearly never happened.

In the summer of 2000, the club were poised to spend a reported £18.5m on signing the Dutchman from PSV Eindhoven but the transfer was called off due to concerns about a knee problem which had kept him out of action for a month at that point.

A few days later things went from bad to worse when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in training and was ruled out for a year.

But thankfully, Van Nistelrooy did get his move to Old Trafford the following summer, and he would on to be one of the greatest goal poachers the Premier League had ever seen as he netted 150 goals in just 200 starts over five years at the club.

And those who labelled him a tap-in merchant were made to eat their words when he scored this goal against Fulham in March 2003.

And the winner is … Eric Cantona

How could we possibly have left Eric The King out of this team?

Signed from Leeds in 1992, the Frenchman was the catalyst for United’s glorious run of silverware in the early 90s and will be remembered as one of the most iconic players in the club’s history.

He scored 81 goals and assisted 61 others in 179 games, winning three Premier League titles and two FA Cups along the way.

But Cantona entertained and enthralled Old Trafford with his flair and panache, and even his kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace supporter – which saw him receive 120 hours community service and an eight month ban from football – is remembered fondly.

“When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”

Indeed it is.

Here’s how the team is looking so far …

GK: Peter Schmeichel RB: Gary Neville LB: Denis Irwin CB: Gary Pallister CB: Rio Ferdinand CM: Bobby Charlton CM: George Best CM: Ryan Giggs FW: Wayne Rooney FW: Eric Cantona

Check back tomorrow when we will be choosing the third and final forward!