Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for a then-record £12.24 million fee for a teenager. He made his debut on August 16, 2003, coming off the bench in the 61st minute for Nicky Butt in a 4-0 Premier League thrashing of Bolton Wanderers.
Today, all of Ronaldo’s teammates from that match have retired from playing. Most have transitioned into coaching roles, while others have become football pundits or executives. Here’s a look at where they are now.
Goalkeeper: Tim Howard
The American goalkeeper joined Manchester United alongside Ronaldo in 2003. After three seasons, he was loaned to Everton, later making the move permanent when his United contract expired. Howard spent nine years at Everton, then played for Colorado Rapids in MLS. In 2019, he retired and became co-owner and sporting director of Memphis 901 FC.
Defender: Phil Neville
A product of United’s academy, Neville debuted for the first team in 1994 and stayed until 2005. He then played eight seasons for Everton before retiring in 2013. Post-retirement, Neville served as assistant coach for England’s U21s and co-managed Salford City with Paul Scholes. In 2018, he became head coach of the England women’s team. He now coaches Inter Miami.
Center-Back: Rio Ferdinand
One of England’s finest center-backs, Ferdinand joined United from Leeds United in 2002 for a then-record £30 million. He dedicated 12 years to the club before moving to Queens Park Rangers in 2014. A year later, he retired and joined Sky Sports as a pundit.
Center-Back: Mikael Silvestre
The French defender signed for United from Inter Milan in 1999, spending nine seasons at Old Trafford. He later played for Arsenal, Werder Bremen, and Portland Timbers. Silvestre retired in 2014 and now serves as director of football for Sports Invest UK.
Defender: Quinton Fortune
The South African utility player, capable of playing midfield or defense, was with United from 1999 to 2006. He also featured for Atletico Madrid and Bolton Wanderers. After a stint at Doncaster Rovers, Fortune retired in 2010 and moved into coaching.
Midfielder: Roy Keane
United’s iconic former captain, Keane played for the club from 1993 to 2005 before a brief spell at Celtic. He retired in 2006 and immediately became Sunderland’s manager. In 2009, he took charge of Ipswich Town. From 2013 to 2018, he was assistant coach for the Republic of Ireland. Keane now works as a football pundit and analyst.
Midfielder: Nicky Butt
A member of United’s famed Class of ’92, Butt spent 12 years at the club before joining Newcastle United in 2004. He retired in 2011 and returned to United as interim U23 coach. In March 2021, he left the club again to pursue other ventures.
Midfielder: Paul Scholes
Another Class of ’92 legend, Scholes spent his entire career at United, retiring in 2013. Alongside Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, and the Neville brothers, he co-purchased Salford City, selling 50% to Singaporean businessman Peter Lim in 2014. Scholes joined Salford’s board in 2015 and served as technical advisor for Vietnam’s PVF Football Academy in 2017. He briefly coached Oldham Athletic in 2019 and Salford in 2020.
Winger: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The former United manager joined as a player in 1996, staying for 11 seasons until retiring in 2007. In December 2018, he returned as United’s manager after Jose Mourinho’s sacking but faced heavy criticism and was sacked in 2021.
Striker: Ruud van Nistelrooy
The Dutch goal-scoring legend joined United from PSV in 2001, staying for five years before moving to Real Madrid in 2006. He ended his career with stints at Hamburg and Malaga, retiring in 2012. Van Nistelrooy was assistant coach for the Netherlands from 2014 to 2016, managed PSV’s U19s, and returned as Netherlands assistant. He currently coaches PSV’s senior team.
Winger: Ryan Giggs
A United academy product, Giggs holds the club’s appearance record with 936 matches over 24 years. In 2013/14, he served as player-coach for United’s final four games after David Moyes’ sacking, retiring that season. Giggs was Louis van Gaal’s assistant for two years and became PVF Vietnam’s football director in 2017. He coached Wales from 2018 until April 2021, when he stepped down for personal reasons.
Substitute: Eric Djemba-Djemba
The Cameroonian midfielder played for United from 2003 to 2005. He later joined Aston Villa, Qatar SC, and Chennaiyin FC. Djemba-Djemba retired in 2016 after a season with Châteaubriant in France.
Substitute: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar spent six seasons at United from 2003 to 2009 before joining Real Madrid. Over nine years at the Bernabeu, he cemented his status as a global icon. In 2018, Ronaldo signed for Juventus for €100 million. He returned to United in 2021 but, after controversial comments criticizing the club, left for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia in late 2022.
Substitute: Diego Forlan
The Uruguayan legend was with United for two seasons (2002–2004) before moving to Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Mumbai City FC, and Kitchee SC. Forlan retired in 2019, coached Penarol until his sacking in 2020, and has managed Atletico Atenas since 2021.