The 4 United Players Managed By Sir Alex Ferguson Who He Claimed Were World Class (And What He’s Said About Them)
In his 2015 book titled ‘Leading’, Sir Alex Ferguson controversially claimed that, in his 26 years in charge of Manchester United, he only considered four of his players to be World Class.
In the book, Sir Alex said:
“I don’t mean to demean or criticise any of the great or very good footballers who played for me during my 26-year career at United, but there were only four who were world-class: Cantona, Giggs, Ronaldo and Scholes; And of the four Cristiano was like an ornament on the top of a Christmas tree.”
Now, we all have a slightly different definition of ‘world-class’.
Players are often given the label too easily, but it’s still a big statement from Fergie.
I think the likes of Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, among a couple of others, can feel a bit aggrieved.
But, who am I to tell Ferguson he’s wrong.
He obviously sets a high-bar when it comes to the ‘world-class’ label.
And it’s hard to argue that the four he named didn’t stand out above the rest of the players he managed.
He later clarified the comment in his book during an interview, where he said:
“They made the difference and the evidence is there.
When we brought Eric Cantona in, we won the league that season. It was his mere presence and his ability to make and score goals.
The younger breed like Ryan and Scholes were just fantastic players and the thing about those two was longevity. Are there players who have played right through the whole of the Premier League and performed at the level they have? There are none, absolutely none.
And of course Ronaldo was just a complete genius of a player.”
Here’s some other notable things Ferguson has said about the four players in the past:
Eric Cantona
Speaking in 2023 about the great Eric Cantona, Fergie said:
“When Eric Cantona came, it was like the messiah. Players loved him. The young players loved him. His presence, his confidence, his stature.
I always remember he came on as a sub against Manchester City for his first game at half-time and he made a six-yard pass – it was the best six-yard pass I’ve ever seen in my life!
It’s something about great players, they can do something simple that looks great. He transformed the confidence factor and we deservedly won the league.”
Ryan Giggs
Ferguson was full of praise for United’s most decorated player ever, when he said:
“It’s almost impossible to replace a player like Ryan Giggs – you do not find many players like him. He is a rarity.
He has world-class attributes and has achieved so much at one club. You can only look up to him.”
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes was ever-present in the Ferguson era, and a key player in the title-winning sides. Sir Alex previously stated on Scholes:
“Very few players can do that, but Scholes is one of them – and I knew he was one of them.
That’s why, without question, I think Paul Scholes is the best player in England. He’s got the best skills, the best brain. No one can match him.”
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo received the highest praise in Fergie’s 2015 book, but he also received the highest praise in his 2013 autobiography, when he said:
“Cristiano was the most gifted player I managed. He surpassed all the other great ones I coached at United – and I had many.”