Bruno Fernandes celebrated a landmark goal at the weekend as the midfielder fired home his 50th Premier League goal for Manchester United.
The Portugal international reached the half-century spectacularly, with a 50-yard effort to catch out Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher in the 2-2 draw between the teams at Old Trafford.
Fernandes has become only the sixth non-British player to reach 50 goals for Manchester United in the Premier League and we’ve remembered each of the names to have achieved the feat.
6. Bruno Fernandes – 50 goals
Bruno Fernandes became the sixth foreign footballer to reach 50 goals in the Premier League for Manchester United against Liverpool, reaching the milestone in 154 league appearances.
The 29-year-old was an instant hit after arriving from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020, helping the Red Devils to Champions League qualification after an incredible run of form across the run-in. His first full season saw Fernandes score 28 goals in all competitions, setting a new single-season record for a Premier League midfielder.
Bruno Fernandes, what a GOAL ???? pic.twitter.com/yxL9VDrIKN
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2024
In all competitions, he has reached 10+ goals in each of his five seasons at Old Trafford.
=4. Anthony Martial – 63 goals
Manchester United made Anthony Martial the most expensive teenager in football history after agreeing a deal worth up to £57m, including add-ons, to sign the forward from Monaco.
Winner of the Golden Boy award in 2015, Martial marked his debut with a sensational solo goal against Liverpool and began brightly in the Premier League. He scored 17 goals in all competitions during his debut campaign but has struggled for consistency across his career.
The 28-year-old has scored 90 goals in 317 games, with 63 of those coming in the Premier League. After an underwhelming spell, he will depart when his contract expires this summer.
=4. Eric Cantona – 63 goals
Eric Cantona ranks alongside Martial on 63 league goals for the club, though it’s fair to say the Frenchman had significantly more impact than his compatriot.
Cantona was the catalyst for Manchester United’s early dominance of the Premier League era, poached from rivals Leeds before going on to become one of the division’s all-time greats.
He won four league titles in five seasons with the Red Devils, twice led the league for assists, and won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 1993/94 and the FWA Footballer of the Year two years later.
The chip.
The celebration.
The King.An iconic Eric Cantona moment, 21 years ago today… #MUFC pic.twitter.com/PGYJd1GlyH
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 21, 2017
Cantona’s influence on Sir Alex Ferguson’s side saw him named as the Overseas Player of the Decade in the Premier League for the first 10 years of the division.
Moments that made the Premier League: Man United snare Cantona from Leeds
3. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – 91 goals
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sits alongside some of the best bargains in Manchester United’s history, with the Norwegian an unheralded addition after arriving from Molde for a fee of £1.5m in 1996.
He scored 19 goals in all competitions during his first season in English football and earned the nickname “the Baby-faced Assassin” for his razor-sharp instincts in the area and boyish looks. Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 games across all competitions for the Red Devils, despite not always commanding a regular role.
⏱ 19 minutes
⚽️ 4 goalsSolskjaer’s stunning substitute display set a #PL record that still stands today ????#PLMoments pic.twitter.com/kSxpTEeXeD
— Premier League (@premierleague) June 8, 2017
His ability to influence games off the bench saw Solskjaer claim ‘Super Sub’ status, with his game-changing performances as a substitute including a stunning four-goal haul at Nottingham Forest and a famous stoppage-time winner in the 1999 Champions League final.
Iconic Performances: ‘Super sub’ Solskjaer hits four at Forest
2. Ruud van Nistelrooy – 95 goals
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s move to Manchester United was delayed due to knee issues, as the Red Devils sought to sign a striker who had won consecutive Eredivisie Golden Boots.
The wait was worth it, however, as Van Nistelrooy arrived in a big-money deal from PSV Eindhoven and hit the ground running. He won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in his debut campaign after scoring 36 goals in all competitions, before eclipsing that haul with a record-breaking 2002/03 season.
Van Nistelrooy won the Premier League’s Golden Boot – becoming only the second Manchester United player to do so after Dwight Yorke – and ended the campaign with 44 in all competitions. Only Erling Haaland (52 in 2022/23) has ever managed more among Premier League players in a single season.
The best of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 9️⃣5️⃣ #PL strikes for @ManUtd?#GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/qbvU1m5MFQ
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 22, 2019
The Dutchman scored a staggering 95 league goals in just 150 appearances for the club, averaging a Premier League goal every 128 minutes.
Noughties Nines: The greatest assassin, Ruud van Nistelrooy
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 103 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading overseas scorer in Manchester United’s Premier League history, after reaching 103 goals across his two spells with the club.
Ronaldo arrived in English football as a teenager and across six seasons evolved into arguably the world’s finest footballer.
He won three consecutive Premier League titles between 2007 and 2009, with the second of those coming alongside the Champions League. His 42-goal campaign in 2007/08 saw Ronaldo recognised with the Ballon d’Or, the first of five triumphs in a career that has reached record-breaking heights.
Utterly outrageous ????@Cristiano‘s iconic free-kick against Portsmouth from ???????????????????? angle ????
The greatest free-kick in #PL history? pic.twitter.com/VqllsQBUkc
— Premier League (@premierleague) July 20, 2021
Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid in an £80m world-record deal in 2009 and went on to become the Spanish side’s record scorer, before returning to Manchester United in 2021, via a three-year stint at Juventus.
He scored 19 goals in 41 league appearances during his second stint, passing a century in the Premier League, before leaving for Al-Nassr.
Read – Unforgettable Debuts: Cristiano Ronaldo, Old Trafford witnesses the birth of an icon
See more – Thierry Henry’s poise, Roy Keane’s red mist and the most iconic Premier League imagery of the 2000s
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