9 Players Who Have Flourished Since Leaving Man Utd

7. Phil Bardsley

Phil Bardsley has gone down in recent seasons as something of a Sunderland legend, but many forget that he started his professional career at Manchester United. Similarly to Chris Eagles, he joined the club in 2003 and was there for eight years, spending much of that time out on loan at various clubs. Ultimately he never quite met the high demands of Manchester United and in 2008, realising he wasn't cut out for football at Old Trafford, he made the switch to Sunderland. He then spent six seasons at Sunderland and became a fan favourite for his drive, passion and determination, and was a regular in the starting eleven for most of that period, helping them secure promotion to, as well as stay in the Premier League. Making over 150 Premier League appearances he made it clear that he was certainly cut out for England's top flight, even if he wasn't good enough for United. He has now moved on to Stoke City where he should fit into their style of play nicely. He is a fiery character that suits the format of teams such as Sunderland and Stoke and he's proven any doubters wrong since leaving Old Trafford.