Thomas Hein
Best US player in Manchester United History
The history of Manchester United is full of legendary players.
Indeed, regardless of whatever time period you decide to take a look at, you will immediately find that some of the best players in the world have donned the famous red jersey and played for the club. Naturally, it has helped the Red Devils to become one of the most famous teams in the sport and across the world, with fans from all corners of the globe continuing to support them and cheer them on.
But out of all of these great players, who is the best US player in Manchester United history? In this article, that is something that we will look to answer, although those that follow the Old Trafford outfit everywhere will probably already know who that is…
How many Americans have played for Manchester United in the club’s history?
A potentially interesting trivia question about Manchester United that some fans may not immediately be able to answer could be in regard to the number of Americans to have played for the club throughout its history. Is it a question that you could answer successfully?
What do you think it is? Well, were you able to correctly name all four of those to have played for the Red Devils? Yes, there are four individuals to have come from the other side of the Atlantic, with some more recognizable than others.
The first of the players is James Brown, who represented the club between 1932 and 1934. He made 41 appearances between these seasons, and scored a total of 17 goals; the most by an American by some distance for the club. In truth, he is the only American to have scored for the Red Devils.
Between 1950 and 1953, Manchester United had Edward McIlvenney playing for them, with the American only making two appearances, therefore you would be forgiven if you did not remember him, or even know anything about him.
Fast forward to 2003, and the club had two Americans on its books, with one of them arguably the greatest Manchester United has ever had. Indeed, one of those men was Jonathan Spector who made just eight appearances between 2003 and 2006. However, the other individual is a name many fans will remember for his time at Old Trafford – and elsewhere in the Premier League…
Tim Howard is the greatest US player in Manchester United history
Of course, that man is Tim Howard. The goalkeeper was at the club between 2003 and 2007, where he made a total of 77 appearances under Sir Alex Ferguson before being moved on to Everton. He would eventually go on to make 399 Premier League appearances in total, scoring one goal in the process; an incredible goal at that.
During his time at Old Trafford, he managed to win the FA Cup, the League Cup, and a Community Shield, however, he failed to help Manchester United land the big one; although that is something that fans have not been able to experience for a while.
Indeed, many of the club’s fans worldwide have become a little frustrated with what has been happening on the field, although there may be some optimism around their chances of what could be achieved in the future.
With the arrival of Erik ten Hag as the new manager, there will be a large majority of supporters who live in New York that may be considering placing a wager on a successful campaign now that they can do so for the very first time before the start of the Premier League season.
With the Caesars New York Sportsbook odds on Tim Howard’s former club to have already been presented, there will be many that may be considering what could happen in the upcoming league competition.
However, it would not be a surprise if many were to wait a little longer, especially as we are currently in the midst of the summer transfer window, where we have seen a number of huge stories be released in recent weeks.
What will the summer transfer window bring?
Naturally, with the arrival of a new manager, it is hardly a surprise that the transfer rumor mill continues to churn with Manchester United being a club being seemingly linked with a range of different targets this summer.
Indeed, the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen, Tyrell Malacia, and Anthony have all been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, with each of the players among the names that Ten Hag will be very familiar with.
However, there has also been some rather concerning news this summer, too, about the possibility of another big-name departure.
The Red Devils have already lost the likes of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, and Edinson Cavani on free transfers, and it seems we could see Cristiano Ronaldo’s name be added to that list, too.
Cristiano Ronaldo told Man United he wants to leave this summer as he wants to see more ambition. Man Utd are still hopeful of keeping CR7, but aware of decision. 🚨🇵🇹 #Ronaldo
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 2, 2022
Cristiano has no agreement with any other club. Mendes explored options for weeks and will continue. pic.twitter.com/VRji13zrz0
The Portuguese superstar is thought to be unhappy with the level – or lack – of ambition that has been shown by the club, despite the fact that he is said to be happy with the arrival of the new manager this summer. His agent, Jorge Mendes, is understood to have been trying to find alternative suitors for the 37-year-old, and this summer could be crucial given that it is a year in which the FIFA World Cup will be played.
Final Thoughts
Of course, there is no doubt regarding the fact that Tim Howard is the best American player to have ever turned out for Manchester United throughout the club’s history, however, there will be many that will be concerned that one of the greatest of all time could be about to make his own exit from Old Trafford for a second time.
If the club are to be as successful as possible, they might want to try and give Ten Hag the players he wants, as this should go a long way in retaining CR7, which could then set them up to have an exceptional Premier League season.
