Manchester United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester. The club was formed in Newton Heath in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR F.C., and played their first competitive match in October 1886, when they entered the First Round of the 1886–87 FA Cup. The club was renamed Manchester United F.C. in 1902, and they moved to Old Trafford in 1910. The club won its first significant trophy in 1908, the First Division title. Since then, the club has won a further 19 league titles, along with 13 FA Cups and six League Cups, among many other honours. They have also been crowned champions of Europe on three occasions by winning the European Cup. The club was one of 22 teams in the Premier League when it was formed in 1992. They experienced the most successful period in their history under the management of Alex Ferguson, who guided the team to 13 league titles in 21 years.

Since the club's first competitive match, 988 players have made a competitive first-team appearance for the club, of whom 228 players have made at least 100 appearances (including substitute appearances). Manchester United's record appearance-maker is Ryan Giggs, who made a total of 963 appearances over a 23-year playing career; he broke Bobby Charlton's previous appearance record in the 2008 UEFA Champions League final. Giggs also holds the record for the most starts (802 matches), and for the most matches played as a substitute (161).

Charlton was also the club's top goalscorer with 249 goals in his 17 years with the club. He held the mark for 45 years, until his record was overtaken by Wayne Rooney, who scored his 250th goal during the 2016–17 season; Rooney finished his 13-year tenure with Manchester United with 253 goals in 559 appearances. Other than Charlton, Giggs, and Rooney, only eight players have made more than 500 appearances for the club, including three members of the 1968 European Cup–winning team (Tony Dunne, Alex Stepney, and Bill Foulkes as well as Charlton) and three members of the 1999 Treble-winning team (Denis Irwin, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, as well as Giggs); the two other players to reach 500 appearances are Joe Spence, who played for the club during the interwar period, and David de Gea, who played for the club from 2011 to 2023. De Gea, who is Spanish, is the first 500 Club member from outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Other than Charlton and Rooney, only two players (Denis Law and Jack Rowley) have scored more than 200 goals for the club.

The most recent player to reach 100 appearances for the club is English midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who reached the milestone on 9 May 2026.

List of players

Appearances and goals are for first-team competitive matches only, including Premier League, Football League, FA Cup, League Cup, Charity/Community Shield, European Cup/Champions League, UEFA Cup/Europa League, Cup Winners' Cup, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup matches; wartime matches are regarded as unofficial and are excluded, as are matches from the abandoned 1939–40 season. Players are listed according to the date of their first-team debut for the club. Players in bold are currently under contract with Manchester United.

Statistics correct as of match played 16 September 2026

Table headers Nationality – If a player played international football, the country/countries he played for are shown. Otherwise, the player's nationality is given as their country of birth. Manchester United career – The year of the player's first appearance for Manchester United to the year of his last appearance. Starts – The number of matches started. Sub – The number of matches played as a substitute. Total – The total number of matches played, both as a starter and as a substitute.

+ Positions keyPre-1960sPost-1960sGKGoalkeeperFBFull backDFDefenderHBHalf backMFMidfielderFWForwardUUtility player

+List of Manchester United F.C. players with at least 100 appearancesNameNationalityPositionManchester UnitedcareerAppearancesGoalsRefStartsSubsTotal 1892–189610201020 1892–190231003109 1892–1897155015566 1893 1895–19001740174100 1893–1898157015712 1894–18981900101010137 1895–190525702578 1896–190320002001 1896–1900127012733 1896–190013601360 1897–190315201527 1899–1905175017530 1900–1907179017935 1901–19071908–191012801282 1902–19031904–1907121012158 1902–1909191019114 1903–1913309030910 1903–190713401343 1903–191226602660 1903–1915254025411 1904–1913302030223 1905–191411701170 1905–1911122012246 1906–19153190319100 1907–1921335033536 1907–19152470247101 1907–191527002709 1908–1912125012556 1909–192010601066 1910–1915181018180 1912–191911201120 1912–192619901990 1919–193232203227 1919–193444904492 1919–19335100510168 1919–19211922–193132803280 1919–192720502058 1920–1929160016018 1920–193232603260 1921–193230103013 1921–1925153015350 1922–1931135013513 1922–192815201524 1923–193019701975 1923–1928175017552 1924–193720002000 1924–1931147014752 1926–193214001403 1928–1937116011612 1928–19321934–1937180018055 1929–1933101010167 1929–193311601164 1930–193712201220 1931–1939195019541 1933–193920902091 1934–194417301731 1934–1940182018215 1934–1937120012049 1934–1938109010957 1934–1939157015742 1935–193911001101 1937–1953344034417 1937–19554240424211 1937–19543430343148 1938–195011501152 1946–1954284028430 1946–195539103913 1946–195427502754 1946–195621202120 1946–1950184018428 1946–195212201222 1946–1952162016261 1949–1953116011637 1949–195820802080 1950–195511501150 1950–195812101211 1951–1958276027645 1951–1958117011727 1951–1958280028020 1952–1958150015028 1952–197068536889 1953–19581910191131 1953–1958177017721 1953–19622930293179 1954–196010701078 1954–1960127012735 1955–195810801082 1956–196110601062 1956–19737562758249 1956–196711901190 1957–196624702470 1958–197035813596 1958–1963184018456 1959–1963115011513 1959–1971395039519 1960–1964194019414 1960–197353415352 1960–196714601468 1961–19682641265145 1962–19733986404237 1963–1973328733527 1963–1971397039715 1963–19744700470179 1964–1966112111335 1965–1973141614710 1965–19721662118727 1966–197853905392 1967–1974257926670 1967–1972143131567 1968–1975293329634 1968–197516011614 1971–19823912841971 1972–198345604564 1972–197957531108 1973–197811631195 1973–19843742740197 1973–1977137514232 1973–1979268327117 1974–1980248225016 1974–1979179118066 1974–1988467184857 1975–1983393339670 1975–1981235132486 1975–1978133113451 1976–1980119412336 1977–1983773010711 1978–1981125112641 1978–1985229022926 1978–198737503750 1978–1981110011015 1979–1988284528924 1979–1984191319410 1980–1990345333787 1981–198611641204 1981–19872672128878 1981–19881881119912 1981–19944372446199 1982–19892561827467 1982–1989192719916 1983–19861988–199545314467163 1984–198810821101 1984–19942014424526 1984–19881492717624 1984–1989195620138 1986–1988832310626 1987–199839873471127 1987–1996411341451 1988–199484251092 1988–19962135026336 1988–199298211190 1989–1994127191463 1989–1992105511011 1989–1998433443715 1989–1995276528129 1990–20025111852933 1991–2014802161963168 1991–19951322916136 1991–199613791462 1991–199939803981 1992–2011566366027 1992–20033563839485 1992–20043078038726 1992–1997184118582 1993–20054582248051 1994–200298201188 1994–20112012–2013577141718155 1995–200123144275121 1995–2005301853868 1996–2002131191509 1996–2007216150366126 1997–20011015215346 1997–200081221033 1998–2011313493625 1998–200112521271 1998–20021203215266 1999–2006883812611 1999–20083263536110 1999–20113019239315 2000–200413901390 2001–200620019219150 2002–2014444114558 2003–20152667634224 2003–20092021–202228957346145 2004–2008764812442 2004–201749762559253 2005–201126602660 2005–20121465920527 2006–20143572237910 2006–20142901030021 2006–20183956946424 2007–20151785223040 2007–2015128531819 2007–20152023–2025202392418 2008–20121084114956 2008–2015150201705 2008–2014905214229 2009–20192776233925 2010–2015857215759 2010–20192814232318 2011–202354505450 2011–2022198312296 2011–20202025926119 2011–20122016–20221953823339 2012–2015891610558 2013–20191067117722 2014–20222137228551 2014–201813291416 2014–20221438923235 2014–20191404918920 2014–2019105171222 2014–295333285 2015–20232229631890 2016–317114431138 2016–202199141131 2017–2022152371894 2017–2025247372844 2017–20241728325529 2018–20231545921314 2018–2193225110 2019–2022844613035 2019–2354027517 2019–2024178121902 2020–31617333111 2022–20258856144262022–98161144 2022–20261382216026 2022–202570371078 2023–10201020 2023–75331088

Club captains

Notes

References General

Specific