Five of the Best Fergie Signings

1. Roy Keane

Controversial Keane was signed by Fergie as a replacement for ageing skipper Bryan Robson in 1993 for a then British transfer record of £3.75m. He became the heartbeat to the dominant United team of the 1990s and took over the captains armband in 1997. His commitment and dedication was perhaps epitomised in the 1999 Champions League semi-final against Juventus when he helped his side come from two goals down to win 3-2 - despite having picked up a yellow card that would rule him out of the final. He eventually left United for Celtic in 2005 having won seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups, four Charity Shields, the Champions League and Intercontinental Cup.

2. Peter Schmeichel

The greatest goalkeeper in United's history, Schmeichel could also be regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers of all time. The Great Dane cost just £550,000 when Fergie signed him from Brondby in 1991 and he won every possible honour at United, culminating in the 1999 Champions League final win, in which he captained the Reds. Schmeichel was famed for his blasts at his defenders, but his huge frame and skills in one-on-one situations meant goals rarely went past him.

3. Eric Cantona

He was at Old Trafford for just five years but he left a lasting impact. Widely regarded as the man who proved the difference in bringing the league title back to Old Trafford for the first time since 1967 back in 1993, Cantona was plucked by Fergie from arch rivals Leeds for a mere £1.2m. In the time he was at the club, United won four Premier League titles and two doubles, and he was the star that Fergie built his team of wonderkids (Beckham, Giggs, Scholes) around.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

Signed in 2003 for £12m to fill the huge void left by his predecessor to the number 7 shirt - David Beckham. The Portuguese wonderkid became a world superstar at United under Fergie's stewardship, winning three Premier League titles, two League Cups, the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Club World Cup. He won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008 before he sealed a £80m transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009. He scored a phenomenal 67 goals in his final two seasons at Old Trafford, writing his name in the clubs history while also generating a huge £68m profit for the Reds.

5. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

A great servant to United, Fergie signed the baby-faced assassin for £1.5m from Norwegian side Molde in 1996 and he remained at the club until the end of his career in 2007, before he took a backroom role at Old Trafford. He will be most remembered for his dramatic injury time winner that won United the 1999 Champions League final and the treble, completing Fergie's greatest achievement as a manager. Often used as a matchwinner off the bench, Solskjaer scored 91 goals in 235 appearances for United - including four in the last ten minutes against Nottingham Forest in 1998.

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