7. Edwin Van Der Sar (Netherlands)
Goalkeeping was a major problem for United in the early years of the new Millennium, with the likes of Australian Mark Bosnich and Frenchman Fabian Barthez, the latter considered one of the worlds best after World Cup and European Championship glory with France, struggling to keep goals out as United proceeded to win just one title in five years between 2001 and 2006. That changed soon after Edwin Van Der Sar made the position his own. Having been considered amongst the best goalkeepers in the world since the mid-90s, it was a shock when he joined mid-table side Fulham from Juventus in 2001, playing at Craven Cottage for four years until Sir Alex Ferguson secured his signature for just £2 million. United won four titles in the six years that the Dutchman spent between the sticks, as he continued to play until the age of forty despite competition from younger players such as Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak. Having broke records in 2009, when he went 1311 minutes without conceding a goal, Van Der Sar proved to be a formidable addition to Uniteds back line, and has arguably yet to be properly replaced, as David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard yet to become as dependable as the man that preceded them. Playing in 186 league games in total, the Dutchman ended his career at United, going down in history as one of the clubs finest players between the sticks.