The Manchester United squad is in a funny place: it is one that has been assembled over the course of six different permanent managers.
Few remnants of the Sir Alex Ferguson era still remain, but the likes of goalkeeper David De Gea were signed during the latter stages of the Scot's lengthy career.
Now, Erik ten Hag must try and forge an identity out of players that were brought through with many differing approaches and philosophies in mind.
The early signs are promising. The Dutchman has already picked up his first silverware at Old Trafford, winning the 2023 EFL Cup, and the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League campaigns have gone well.
But the first season under his guidance has also brought moments they would all rather forget. It began with defeats to Brighton and Brentford, and March saw a record 7-0 loss to Liverpool.
Big changes in the Manchester United squad this season saw the arrivals of Brazilians Casemiro and Antony in the summer from Real Madrid and Ajax respectively, plus the departure of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo in November, after his contract was terminated by mutual agreement.
For most registered squads, teams can have a squad of 25 players. However, different competitions allow different rules around allowing U21 and 'homegrown' players to be registered above that number. That's why you'll often see clubs with more than 25 players in a squad, as they utilise youth talent throughout a season.
Manchester United Premier League squad 2022/23
Manchester United goalkeepers
- 1. David De Gea (Spain)
- 22. Tom Heaton (England)
- 30. Nathan Bishop (England)
- 31. Jack Butland (England)
Manchester United defenders
- 2. Victor Lindelof (Sweden)
- 4. Phil ones (England)
- 5. Harry Maguire (England)
- 19. Raphael Varane (France)
- 20. Diogo Dalot (Portugal)
- 23. Luke Shaw (England)
- 29. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (England)
- 12. Tyrell Malacia (Netherlands)
- 6. Lisandro Martinez (Argentina)
- 66. Rhys Bennett (England)
- 33. Brandon Williams (England)
Manchester United midfielders
- 17. Fred (Brazil)
- 8. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
- 39. Scott McTominay (Scotland)
- 28. Facundo Pallistri (Uruguay)
- 24. Donny van de Beek (Netherlands)
- 14. Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
- 18. Casemiro (Brazil)
- 55. Zidane Iqbal (Iraq)
- 73. Kobbie Mainoo (England)
- 15. Marcel Sabitzer (Austria)
Manchester United forwards
- 49. Alejandro Garnacho (Argentina)
- 10. Marcus Rashford (England)
- 25. Jadon Sancho (England)
- 36. Anthony Elanga (Sweden)
- 9. Anthony Martial (France)
- 21. Antony (Brazil)
- 27. Wout Weghorst (Netherlands)
Manchester United Europa League squad
The Manchester United Europa League squad can contain a maximum of 25 players, although 'homegrown' players can also be added from the club's youth teams.
The 25-player Europa League squad is:
Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Jack Butland, Tom Heaton.
Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Midfielders: Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Scott McTominay, Marcel Sabitzer, Donny van de Beek
Forwards: Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, Facundo Pellistri, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Wout Weghorst
Manchester United manager
Erik ten Hag has been Manchester United manager since the summer of 2022, signing a contract until June 2025. Previous to that, he managed Ajax and Utrecht in his native Netherlands, and worked under Pep Guardiola as Bayern Munich II head coach.
Ten Hag won three consecutive Dutch titles with Ajax, and lifted the EFL Cup in his first season at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag describes his football philosophy as being based on possession-based attacking play.
In 2019, he said: "I want to have possession and hurt the opponent. It’s about possession, about movement, about vertical attacking patterns, about pressing, wingers moving into the middle to make room for the full-backs. Everyone is attacking, everyone is defending."
Manchester United's best player
Marcus Rashford has been the standout performer in the 2022/23 season, recording the most goals in a single season so far in his career. He scored goals in several vital games, including a 2-1 win over Manchester City, in the 2-2 away draw against Barcelona in the Europa League, and in the EFL Cup final win over Newcastle.
