20. Fabio

Fabio da Silva is a right-footed, left-sided defender but, like his twin brother Rafael, loves to get forward.

Spotted in 2005 by Les Kershaw, then United's Academy manager, while playing for Fluminense in a Hong Kong youth tournament, it wasn't long before the Reds came knocking.

Fabio has already proved his potential on the youth international stage. He captained and top-scored in the Under-17 World Cup finals in Korea in 2007.

FIFA's official website heaped praise on the teenager after their game against Ghana. "Brazil's calm and intricate build-up play was

impressive to behold as the imperious Fabio pulled the strings."

It's that kind of promise that had Sir Alex waxing lyrical about the Brazilian pair. "It's a typical Brazilian situation," he says. "They just love playing. They're quick and they're determined. I think they're both excellent footballers, I really do."

The United manager's persistence in signing the pair showed just how highly he rated them. "Their old club Fluminense didn'y play them because they were joining us. They came over in January 2008 [before officially signing in July 2008], but it was too late for the work permit application."

When Fabio and Rafael turned 18, it meant United could apply for international clearance, which came through a few days before United faced Peterborough in a pre-season friendly on 4 August 2008.

Having watched from the bench as his brother Rafael delivered an outstanding first-half performance, Fabio came off the bench to produce an equally sharp display, showing energy and enthusiasm, and plenty of ability too.

Fabio's first-team debut came in the Reds' FA Cup fourth round clash against Tottenham Hotspur on 24 January 2009. The left-back

impressed greatly but picked up a calf injury and limped off after 53 minutes.

Further first-team opportunities have been limited (largely due to Patrice Evra's excellent form), but Fabio has consistently produced the goods (and the goals) in the Reserves. In March 2009 he nettted a hat-trick in the Reserves' 4-1 Lancashire Senior Cup win over Rochdale Rovers.

19. Danny Welbeck

Danny Welbeck, a highly promising forward capable of spectacular goals, was handed a first-team squad number for the 2008/09 season after starring for the Academy and Reserves.

The Manchester-born frontman joined United's youth set-up in summer 2007 and quickly caught the eye with his skilful, strong and pacy displays, which have seen him likened by Sir Alex Ferguson to former Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu.

He bagged nine goals in 14 starts for the Academy in 2007/08 and seven goals in 11 starts for the Reserves, including a superb hat-trick against Manchester City, as the

Reds' second string won both the Manchester and Lancashire Senior Cups.

His performances earned him a call-up to the first-team squad for United's winter trip to Saudi Arabia. Although he missed a last-minute penalty, Welbeck impressed in his 25-minute appearance against Al Hilal.

Welbeck was later named on the substitutes' bench for the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona and was part of the travelling party for the final in Moscow.

An increasing part of Sir Alex's plans, Welbeck rmade a bigger impression on the first team in the 2008/09 campaign.

His debut came in September 2008's Carling Cup win over Middlesbrough, and his first senior goal was a wonderful long-range effort against Stoke at Old Trafford two months later.

He also started the Carling Cup final triumph over Spurs at Wembley in March 2009.

As a schoolboy, Welbeck, capable of playing out wide as well as up front, played a prominent role in the Under-18s’ run to the 2006/07 FA Youth Cup final.

He’s also represented England at youth level, scoring at the

Under-17s World Championships in Korea in summer 2007 before joining the squad for the Under-19s European Championships a year later.

18. Paul Scholes

You must have a rare and special football talent to impress the great Sir Bobby Charlton. The United legend sums up Paul Scholes perfectly: "He’s always so in control and pinpoint accurate with his passing – a beautiful player to watch."

Part of the new wave of talent that ushered in Beckham, Giggs, Butt and the Neville brothers in the mid-1990s, Salford-born Scholes scored twice on his debut in the League Cup at Port Vale in 1994/95 – and on his first league outing against Ipswich – and hasn't looked back.

A host of golden seasons at Old Trafford include 1995/96’s Double-winning campaign, in

which he covered admirably during Eric Cantona’s suspension, finishing second behind the Frenchman in the scoring charts with 14 goals; he was a cornerstone of 1999’s Treble-winners, although suspension ruled him out of the UEFA Champions League final, and in United’s Premier League success in 2003, his 20-goal haul was vital.

Neat and compact, a misplaced Scholes pass remains one of the rarest sights in football. His superb eye for goal and late runs from midfield also served his country superbly on 66 occasions.

An eye problem kept the man the fans dubbed the 'Ginger Prince’ out of action for a large part of 2005/06, but he burst back onto the scene during the 2006/07 title-winning campaign, playing a key role in helping the Reds reclaim the Premier League crown. Personal highlights included his opener in the 2-0 win over Liverpool in October 2006 and a volley of the highest calibre in the 3-0 win at Aston Villa two months later, which earned him the Goal of the Season Award at the club's Player Awards ceremony.

His contribution was recognised by players and press alike - he finished third in the PFA Player of the Year category and fourth in the Football Writers' vote - both of which were won by

team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

His good form continued the following season as he helped the Reds to a glorious double and finally buried the UEFA Champions League ghost of '99 when his stunning strike against Barcelona in April 2008, booked United's, and his own place, in the final in Moscow.

Now in the top four highest ever appearance makers, with over 600 games under his belt, and the top twelve highest goalscorers at the club, Scholes is, indisputably, one of the finest talents in United's history, and he's still going strong - in October 2008 he was rewarded with a one-year contract extension, taking him through to June 2010.

17. Nani

Portuguese Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha (or ‘Nani’ as we all know him) is a powerful and pacy winger. He arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2007 and, predictably, was given the tag of being ‘the next Cristiano Ronaldo’.

It’s perhaps an unfair comparison given the heights Ronaldo has scaled in the last two seasons, but Nani will have taken note of how his countryman worked so hard to hone his raw talents in his early years at Old Trafford, transforming inexperience and inconsistency into maturity and regularly threatening displays.

Nani produces explosive bursts of brilliance, his

goals are spectacular and well worthy of his equally extravagant backflip celebrations. But the challenge now, after a patchy second season in England, is to do it consistently at the top level. Like Ronaldo in his first three seasons at Old Trafford, the good form comes in spells. Nani, who scored four goals in 41 appearances as the Reds clinched the Premier League and Champions League trophies, can play on either flank and showed his speed, skill and scoring potential in his first season at OT.

Old Trafford got its first glimpse of Nani's trademark acrobatic celebration when he scored his first United goal against Tottenham in August 2007, and he followed that with goals against Middlesbrough, Arsenal and – the goal that perhaps most endeared him to Reds fans – a great strike in the 3-0 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford in March 2008.

Nani’s move to United was announced in May 2007, the same day Anderson’s arrival from FC Porto was confirmed, though he officially joined United in July 2007 for an undisclosed fee from Sporting Lisbon, after being tracked for some time by Sir Alex Ferguson and his scouting staff. His Sporting debut came at the age of 18, scoring five times in 29 appearances in the Portuguese league in 2006/07. He

found the net on his international debut against Denmark in September 2006, and also featured for Portugal in the Euro 2008 championships in Austria and Switzerland.

Nani overtook his goals tally during his second season with a wonder strike in the 4-2 Carling Cup semi-final second leg clash with Derby. It shows signs of improvement, and Ronaldo has promised Nani will further raise his game. “I really hope he has the same success as me, or even more, because he’s got the ability to do this," said Ronny. "He joined the right club to evolve as a player and as a person.”