A history of Man Utd's No.7s: From Eric Cantona to Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham to Mason Mount

An icon on and off the pitch, Best remains the only Northern Irishman to win the Ballon d'Or having finished as United's top scorer for six consecutive seasons before leaving in 1974.

He helped the Red Devils win two league titles as well as the European Cup in 1968, with his goal in the final contributing to a 4-1 victory over Benfica.

'Captain Marvel' was voted United's greatest ever player in a poll of their former players back in 2011, and for his all-action midfield displays it was easy to see why.

Playing 461 times for the Red Devils, Robson scored 99 goals and became their first English captain to lift the FA Cup as well as helping to secure Premier League and Cup Winners' Cup triumphs.

Part of the United side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, Gillespie followed in his fellow countryman Best's shoes and was handed the No.7 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson.

He failed to fully establish himself at Old Trafford, however, with Andrei Kanchelskis keeping him out of the team for long periods before he was eventually sold to Newcastle in 1995.

When permanent squad numbers were introduced to English football in the 1993-94 season, there was only really one option for United to hand their No.7 to - 'King Eric'.

Signed from Leeds United in 1992, Cantona terrorised opposition defences for five years at Old Trafford, scoring outrageous goals for fun as Ferguson's side began to dominate the English game.

He will likely always be remembered for his infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park, but his playing legacy will never be forgotten on the red side of Manchester.

The ultimate celebrity footballer, Beckham grew from a precocious young winger into one of the better modern England captains during his time at Old Trafford.

Though he didn't always see eye to eye with Ferguson, Beckham played a key role in the Red Devils racking up silverware during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

He eventually left for Real Madrid in 2003 after making almost 350 appearances for the club he supported as a boy.

Stepping into Beckham's shoes was never going to be easy for any player, but Ronaldo's talent and self-confidence soon saw him become a crowd favourite at Old Trafford.

Signed from Sporting, the Portuguese arrived in Manchester a teenager and left as one of the world's biggest stars, becoming United's first Ballon d'Or winner since Best in the process.

He, like Beckham, eventually departed for Real Madrid, joining the Blancos in a world-record £80 million deal in 2009.

Dogged by injuries, his association with Liverpool and the fact he was up against Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov meant Owen was always fighting a losing battle from the moment he joined United in 2009.

He struggled to make much of an impact during his three years at Old Trafford, though his stoppage-time winner to beat Manchester City just months after arriving at the club will see him go down in Old Trafford folklore.

Signed to bomb down the right-hand side from Wigan Athletic, Valencia was handed the No.7 shirt for the 2012-13 campaign following Owen's departure.

He struggled to live up to the added weight of the shirt, however, and reverted back to his favoured No.25 the following year, with his form since improving so much that he is now United's on-field captain and one of the first names on the teamsheet.

After a season in which the No.7 shirt was not used, Di Maria arrived from Real Madrid having been named Man of the Match in the Champions League final just months previously.

The Argentine quickly fell out of favour under Louis van Gaal, however, and despite finishing the season with 12 assists and four goals, the winger was sold to Paris Saint-Germain after just a year in England.

Signed for £25 million having impressed for PSV, Memphis was unable to lie up to the hype or his price tag in the Premier League.

His best performances for the Red Devils came in European competition, but he soon became surplus to requirements under Jose Mourinho and was sold to Lyon in January 2017.

Alexis Sanchez had been courted by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City for some time and when United beat them to the signing, it was billed as a real statement of intent at Old Trafford.

But the move quickly descended into a nightmare. Sanchez later said he had wanted to leave the club after his first training session, and in the end he only lasted a season and a half in Manchester.

Forty-five appearances brought just five goals, and he was loaned out to Inter for the 2019-20 season. After impressing alongside fellow United rejects Romelu Lukaku and Ashley Young, Inter made the move permanent in the summer of 2020.

Cavani came into United in October of 2020 and was meant to be one of the missing links, as the club looked to add some genuine firepower into the squad.

However, the Uruguay international scored just 19 goals in three seasons and was allowed to leave on a free transfer.

It's fair to say he did not exactly set the world alight as intended although his impact was limited due to frequent injury and fitness issues, as well as fierce squad competition.

Of course, the Portugal international reclaimed his old shirt when he returned to United, but it didn't exactly go to plan.

Ronaldo did score 18 goals in 30 Premier League games in 2021-22, but things quickly turned sour after the appointment of Erik ten Hag. He scored once in his final 10 league games and was shipped off to Saudi Arabia.

Erik ten Hag handed Mason Mount the famous No. 7 shirt when the England international joined Manchester United in 2023.

The expectations that accompany such a shirt number are enormous, but Mount is relishing the prospect and also admitted that he was inspired by the Red Devils' former No. 7s Ronaldo and Beckham.