Manchester United have handed Rasmus Hojlund the number nine shirt for the 2024-25 campaign, with the Dane tasked with leading the line for Erik ten Hag this season.
Despite the calibre of forwards that have represented Manchester United, it’s been a fairly mixed bag when it comes to players wearing the number nine shirt.
As Hojlund takes on the shirt, we’ve decided to rank the five best Manchester United number nines of the Premier League era.
5. Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku has never been the most-loved player at any of the stops in his career but in a Manchester United shirt, he did what he always does – score goals.
The big Belgian plundered 42 goals in 96 appearances for the Red Devils after arriving from Everton, including a record-breaking 10 in his first nine appearances to break a Sir Bobby Charlton record.
His form dipped during his second season before a breakdown in his relationship with the club led to a £73m exit to Inter Milan. Lukaku later suggested he has been a ‘scapegoat’ for United’s unconvincing performances under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunner Solskjaer.
4. Louis Saha
Louis Saha is one of those players who was quite definitely better than he is often remembered.
The French forward was fantastic at Fulham and sporadically brilliant at Manchester United, despite the fitness issues that plagued his time at Old Trafford.
Rio Ferdinand once called him his toughest opponent, Wayne Rooney labelled Saha his preferred partner in attack, while ex-England defender Joleon Lescott said one match-up against the forward made him contemplate retirement!
Perfect lunchtime viewing ????
It’s @LouisSaha‘s top 10 #MUFC goals! pic.twitter.com/0LYwNcnLkZ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 31, 2019
“The best player I played against was Louis Saha at Fulham when I was at Wolves,” Lescott told William Hill’s Stripped Podcast.
“He made me know what I needed to do more as a professional and a footballer. I’d never played against someone who was better than me in all the elements at one time. Someone might have been faster or stronger than me, but I’d outdo them in other ways. After that game, I remember going back into the dressing room and thinking, ‘I might have to retire’. It was a good thing though, because I realised there was another level I needed to get to. It made me know you can be humbled real quick and I had to improve.”
Saha scored 42 goals in 124 games at Manchester United and won two Premier League titles among his honours.
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic came, saw and his own words conquered the Premier League.
Jose Mourinho sought a reunion with the outspoken Swede in 2016, signing the forward on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. At 34, there were doubts over Ibrahimovic’s suitability to the demands of English football but he plundered 27 goals in all competitions during his debut campaign.
A brace in the League Cup final win over Southampton was a highlight before Ibrahimovic’s campaign was cut short due to a serious knee injury. When he returned, after re-signing for the club on a short-term deal, the aforementioned Lukaku had taken his place as the team’s focal point.
Zlatan doing Zlatan things!#EFL | #CarabaoCup | @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/546SPnuNk4
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) September 26, 2020
Ibrahimovic moved on to join LA Galaxy and promptly scored 52 goals in 56 games in MLS.
Noughties Nines: The incomparable Zlatan Ibrahimovic
2. Dimitar Berbatov
Sir Alex Ferguson certainly spotted some maverick magic in Dimitar Berbatov after spending £30.75m to sign the forward from Spurs.
Berbatov joined a squad rich with attacking talent as he operated alongside Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo in his debut season as Manchester United won the Premier League in 2008-09.
With an outrageously adhesive first touch and penchant for the spectacular, Berbatov produced some unforgettable moments over four seasons at Old Trafford. A hat-trick against Liverpool, a five-goal destruction of Blackburn, and a remarkable roulette-spin assist against West Ham are just some of the highlights.
Dimitar Berbatov with magic in his boots ✨#GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/rZ6y5IUCUU
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 2, 2019
His nonchalance was not always everyone’s cup of tea, however, and he was a shock omission from the squad for the 2011 Champions League final despite winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot that season.
1. Andy Cole
Rightly or wrongly, Andy Cole has found himself as a footballer who remains criminally under-appreciated.
After banging in a boatload of goals at Newcastle on route to the 1993-94 Golden Boot, he signed for Manchester United in a British transfer record deal.
He picked up where he left off with 121 goals in 275 appearances, winning five league titles, two FA Cups, and the Champions League on the way. His partnership with Dwight Yorke remains arguably the partnership of the Premier League era, a telepathic tandem that spearheaded the greatest season in the club’s history with treble success in 1998-99.
⏪ Manchester United + Barcelona = ????????????
???? Dwight Yorke & Andy Cole at the Camp Nou ????#UCL @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/MyOH262BHD
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 26, 2019
Read – Iconic Duos: Striking synergy perfected, Cole and Yorke
See more – Iconic Performances: Brilliant Berbatov downs Liverpool at Old Trafford
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