14. Zoran Tosic

Described by United's scouting department as “a stylish player consistent with the traditions and legacy of wide players at this club”, 21-year-old Tosic is already a regular in Serbia’s national team.

A winger who hugs the touchline and takes defenders on, he possesses silky dribbling skills and a strong left-foot shot. Renowned for his mastery in dead-ball situations, Tosic is a real threat from set-pieces, whether firing goalwards or delivering pin-point crosses.

United scouts were watching the winger for over a year before he joined the Reds and in that time his progress took giant strides.

He appeared (and scored) for Partizan Belgrade in a Champions League qualifier against Fenerbahce in August 2008, not long after he returned from Serbia’s involvement at the Beijing Olympics.

He also has UEFA Cup experience and is expected to play a big part in Serbia’s quest for 2010 World Cup qualification.

United reached agreement to sign Tosic and his Partizan team-mate Adem Ljajic in January 2009, with Tosic joining immediately and Ljajic staying at Partizan until January 2010.

Tosic made his first-team debut as a substitute in the FA Cup win over Tottenham later that month, and also appeared off the bench at West Brom three days later.

A United fan since childhood, Tosic grew up with posters of his heroes plastered on his bedroom walls in Zrenjanin. No doubt Ryan Giggs was one of those figures and, who knows, it could be Tosic who is charged with filling the Welshman’s boots when Giggs eventually retires.

13. Ji-sung Park

Ji-sung Park has become an increasingly important member of Sir Alex Ferguson's squad since joining the club in the summer of 2005 and he was something of a lucky charm for the Reds during the 2007/08 double-winning campaign.

In the 14 games he started in all competitions, United were unbeaten and conceded only two goals. After missing the first half of the season whilst he recovered from the cartilage problems which cut short his first title-winning campaign in 2006/07, Park returned to action in the Boxing Day win at Sunderland. He netted his first, and only, goal of the season at Craven Cottage in March 2008, powerfully

heading home United's second goal in a 3-0 victory. But it was his battling display in the UEFA Champions League semi-final, second leg against Barcelona which really caught the eye. He ran nearly 12km on the night and never stopped grafting for 90 minutes. It was a typical energy-filled performance from the South Korean who has become something of a cult hero since his arrival from PSV.

Born in Seoul, raised in Suwon just outside South Korea’s capital, Park left school at 18 to join Japanese side Kyoto Purple Sanga. His potential to make the leap from Asia to Europe was spotted by Guus Hiddink, who coached the South Korea during their successful run to the World Cup semi finals in 2002. Later that year, Park followed Hiddink to PSV.

Ji earned widespread recognition in 2005 after scoring against Milan in the UEFA Champions League semi finals, but he had gradually been building his reputation in Holland. Park played only a fleeting part in PSV’s title success in his first season in Holland. Two years later he had fully adapted to European football and was an integral component of the side that clinched Holland's League and Cup Double.

Alerted to his blossoming talent, Sir Alex had Park watched more than 20 times

before finally signing him for an undisclosed fee, believed to be £4million, in June 2005. Having already proved his ability in Europe, acclimatising to the Premier League was Park’s initial test. He rose to the challenge, playing all but four of United’s Premiership matches in 2005/06. He scored his first goal for the club with a fine strike in the 3-1 away win over Birmingham in December 2005, and claimed his first medal in the League Cup final win in February.

He added two Premier League winners' medals in 2007 and 2008 and, although he was left out of Sir Alex's 18-man squad for the UEFA Champions League final, he played his part in helping the Reds secure European glory with fine displays against Roma and Barcelona.

Following minor knee surgery in the summer of 2008, the Korean made a goalscoring return to Premier League action when he fired United ahead in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in September 2008. It was an important moment for Park having missed out on the chance to play the Blues in Moscow.

Park was part of the Reds' Club World Cup-winning side and was an unused substitute in United's League Cup final victory over Tottenham at Wembley. Increasingly kept fresh for the big games, the energetic

Korean is likely to play a major part in United's quest for silverware between now and the end of the 2008/09 season.

12. Ben Foster

It took Ben Foster almost three years to make his competitive United debut; signed in July 2005 and touted as Edwin van der Sar’s chief understudy, he was outstanding in a 1-0 win over Derby County on 15 March 2008.

Foster was snatched from relative obscurity at Stoke City and arrived at Old Trafford after catching Sir Alex Ferguson's eye while on loan at Wrexham. The young shot-stopper was eventually prised from the Potters, without ever playing for the first team, for an undisclosed fee. He's never stayed in one place long, however, with five loan spells in three years at the Britannia, and that continued after his move

to Manchester.

After just one-and-a-half pre-season friendlies with the Reserves in summer 2005, he was farmed out to Watford on a season-long loan. Tipped for relegation, the Hornets had a stunning campaign thanks in no small part to Foster. Aidy Boothroyd's men won Premier League promotion after a 3-0 Championship Play-off final win over Leeds.

Foster was subsequently named on the standby list for England's 2006 World Cup squad, cementing his credentials as a potential future no.1 for club and country. Although his presence wasn't required in Germany, his international bow wasn't long in coming as a superb second loan season at Watford earned him a start – ironically at Old Trafford – in England's friendly with Spain in February 2007. Steve McClaren's side lost 1-0, but Foster's noteworthy display was in keeping with his fine form throughout 2006/07 at Vicarage Road. He couldn't prevent Watford’s relegation, but their fate would have been sealed much soon had it not been for his heroics.

Ben then returned to Old Trafford with the intention of pushing van der Sar for his place in the United team, but disaster struck when he was forced to undergo cruciate knee ligament surgery, ruling him out for almost a

year. His return at Derby confirmed his potential. Edwin’s excellence in the twilight of his career has restricted Ben’s first-team involvement, but he never lets United down when called upon.

That was in evidence for Ben's first trophy at United, which arrived in March 2009 when his penalty shoot-out heroics helped the Reds to victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. Patience continues to be a virtue for Foster, but you can be sure that when the Dutch master van der Sar takes off his gloves for the last time, Ben has proved he is well-placed to challenge for the no.1 jersey at Old Trafford.

11. Ryan Giggs

The only surprise about Ryan Giggs being named PFA Player's Player of the Year in April 2009 was that it had taken so long for him to win the prestigious award.

After all, he'd previously received countless other individual gongs - including the PFA Young Player award twice in his early career - not to mention more team honours than any other United player in the club's illustrious history.

Ryan is also the Reds' record appearance-maker; he surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's 758 on the night he helped the Reds secure a third European Cup triumph - his second - in Moscow on 21 May 2008.


United's most decorated player might never have graced Old Trafford, however, had it not been for Sir Alex Ferguson’s intervention. Cardiff-born Giggs was attending Manchester City's School of Excellence in his early teens, but Sir Alex made a personal visit to his house on his 14th birthday and Ryan jumped at the chance to sign for his boyhood favourites.

Ryan turned professional at United in November 1990 and made his league debut in the old Division One against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991 as a substitute for Denis Irwin. His first league start in 1991/92 also proved a memorable occasion, as he also scored his first ever United goal that day (albeit via a huge deflection off Colin Hendry) in a 1-0 win over Manchester City.

Giggs' first senior trophy arrived in November 1991 as United beat Red Star Belgrade in the European Super Cup final - Ryan came on for Lee Martin. He picked up his second winners' medal five months later as the Reds beat Nottingham Forest in the League Cup final. The following season, 1992/93, saw Giggs and United win the inaugural Premier League title.

Ryan was an integral part of two Double-winning sides, in 1993/94 and 1995/96, before going one better in 1998/99

by adding the European Cup to the FA Cup and Premier League trophy. His contributions to the Treble-winning campaign included a superb solo goal to win the FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal at Villa Park, commonly regarded as one of United's greatest ever goals.

Ryan celebrated 10 years at Old Trafford with a testimonial match against Celtic in 2001/02. A year later he bagged his 100th career goal in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and became only the second-ever player to play 700 games for United when he helped the Reds to a dramatic 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in March 2007. Two months later, he became a league title winner for the ninth time, beating the record of eight championship medals held by Liverpool legends Phil Neal and Alan Hansen.

In the interests of prolonging his club career at the highest level, Ryan retired from international football with Wales in June 2007 after 64 games and 12 goals. In October 2007, he extended his United contract to June 2009.

December 2007 brought two landmark feats - Ryan was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to football and he scored his 100th league career goal in the 4-0 home win over Derby County.


Ryan crowned the epic 2007/08 season, his 18th in United's first team, by scoring the Reds' second goal in the last-day league win at Wigan and slotting home what proved to be the decisive penalty in the Champions League final shoot-out.

Giggs' career continued with a flourish during 2008/09 when he adopted a more central position in midfield or just off the main striker. He extended his contract by another year in February 2009, effective to the end of 2009/10. In that same month he became the only player to score in every Premier League season when he netted in United's 1-0 win at West Ham.