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Pre-season is underway and that means new squad numbers are being revealed as fans look to snap up shirts ahead of the upcoming campaign.
The big news on this front coming out of Manchester United this week is that Rasmus Hojlund has taken the coveted No9 shirt following the departure of Anthony Martial.
In his first season at the club, Hojlund wore the No11, but he has now switched numbers, with new signing Joshua Zirkzee being handed the Danish forward’s old jersey.
But how have they all fared? Mail Sport has ranked eight players that have donned the No9 over the past three decades.
Rasmus Hojlund has been handed the famous No9 shirt at Man United for this season
New signing Joshua Zirkzee has now been confirmed to wear Hojlund’s old No11 shirt
8. Radamel Falcao
Falcao established himself as one of Europe’s deadliest finishers during his spells at Porto and Atletico Madrid, so when United managed to sign him from Monaco in 2014 it looked like a major coup.
But the Colombian forward had suffered an ACL injury the previous season, and bringing him to Old Trafford was a gamble. It didn’t pay off.
Falcao simply didn’t look the same player in a red shirt. Whether it was the injury catching up with him or the No9 weighing too heavily on his shoulders, he did not live up to expectations.
He scored just four goals in 26 league appearances, and United had seen enough.
After one season he was moved on to Chelsea where he did not fare any better. He returned to Monaco in 2016 after two disastrous years in England.
Radamel Falcao had a torrid time at United, scoring four goals in his only season at the club
7. Brian McClair
Nowadays, McClair is arguing with Gary Neville over who chose United’s iconic walkout song, but he was also a fine player during his 11-year stay at Old Trafford.
Having joined from Celtic in 1987, McClair scored 24 league goals in his maiden season.
But this list is focusing on the Premier League era, and McClair had to settle for being a squad player by the 1990s.
The Scot proved his versatility by playing in midfield and attack for Sir Alex Ferguson as United dominated English football.
McClair was a solid performer during United’s golden age, but was never one of the standout names on the teamsheet, meaning he takes seventh spot here.
Brian McClair (right) was a reliable squad player for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side
6. Anthony Martial
There was so much excitement surrounding Martial when he signed for United in 2015.
Who can forget that debut goal against Liverpool? He looked like a star in the making.
He went on to score 11 league goals in his maiden season, a decent platform to build on. But he only bettered that number once in the rest of his United career. Injuries curtailed his progress, while he also struggled for consistency.
By the end of his time at the club, it was easy to forget that he was actually still on United’s books.
He finally left earlier this summer and is currently without a club.
Anthony Martial arrived with so much expectation but ended up outstaying his welcome
5. Romelu Lukaku
Looking at Lukaku’s numbers at United, they appear pretty strong. His tally of 42 goals in 96 appearances is hardly a poor return.
Yet he still left the club with fans believing he could have been so much better.
United spent £75m to bring him to Old Trafford from Everton in 2017 and he netted 27 times across all competitions in his first season under Jose Mourinho.
But he went off the boil the following year as Mourinho was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Lukaku did not seem to suit Solskjaer’s style of play, and his work-rate and condition were questioned.
Solskjaer was happy to let Lukaku go after just a few months working with him, and the Belgian striker joined Inter Milan in August 2019.
Romelu Lukaku flourished under Jose Mourinho in his first season at United
He went off the boil when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over and left United after just two seasons
4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
We’re now moving into the top half of the list, and Ibrahimovic’s spell at United has to be deemed a success, especially considering he was 34 when he joined.
Some may have wondered how much the giant Swede had left in the tank, but he proved his doubters wrong by scoring 28 goals in his debut season.
He played a key role in helping United win the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield, which Mourinho is adamant counts as a legitimate Treble!
Unfortunately for Ibrahimovic, he suffered a serious knee injury at the end of his first season and hardly played for the club again before moving to LA Galaxy the following March.
He could have been even higher on this list if he had stayed longer, but Ibrahimovic deserves recognition for what he achieved in a short space of time at Old Trafford.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was an instant hit despite arriving at United as a veteran forward in 2016
He helped United win the League Cup and Europa League in his only full season at the club
3. Louis Saha
Saha moved to United in 2004 after an impressive spell at Fulham, but he had a major challenge on his hands to get into the team.
Having arrived in the same summer as Wayne Rooney and with Ruud van Nistelrooy already established as United’s first-choice striker, Saha had to wait patiently for opportunities.
Gradually, he started to get more chances, and he took them. He became a player that Ferguson trusted, so much so that the Scot allowed Van Nistelrooy to leave in 2006.
During his stay, Saha won two league titles and the Champions League, and was a strong option to bring off the bench when Rooney and Carlos Tevez weren’t firing.
His longevity just gives him the edge over Ibrahimovic.
Louis Saha had to compete with some elite strikers for game time, but still made his mark
2. Dimitar Berbatov
Berbatov replaced Saha and also spent four years at Old Trafford, just like the Frenchman.
The Bulgarian sometimes divided opinion, with fans occasionally growing frustrated with his perceived lack of effort off the ball.
But the Premier League has not seen many players with a better first touch, and he knew how to finish as well.
Berbatov scored 20 league goals in the 2010-11 season to lead United to the title, and he formed a strong partnership with Rooney.
Having cost £30m back in 2008 – which was viewed as a very significant figure at the time – Berbatov proved to be worth every penny.
Dimitar Berbatov scored 20 league goals in 2010-11 to help United win the title and proved to be £30m well spent
1. Andy Cole
There can only be one man to take top spot.
Cole joined United in 1995 as part of a swap deal that saw Keith Gillespie go the other way to Newcastle.
It quickly became apparent who had got the better side of the deal. Cole took the No9 shirt off McClair at the start of the 1996-97 season and went from strength to strength.
Andy Cole (left) is United’s best No9 of the Premier League era after firing them to a historic Treble in 1999
He scored 24 goals in United’s 1998-99 Treble-winning season, and followed that up by scoring a further 22 the following year as United stormed to another title.
He left United after seven years at the club with 121 goals to his name, and deserves to be regarded as their best No9 of the Premier League era.
