Since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, Man United's No 7s have scored a mere 15 EPL goals

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo rose to fame during his time at Manchester United with his blistering form and sensational displays along the flanks at Old Trafford. The then-rising star, after winning almost every possible title, departed for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world-record transfer of £80 million ($100 million) after establishing a Man United No 7 legacy of his own, something that has stood firm despite the shifting sands in the red half of Manchester. None of the successive Man United No 7 holders has failed to fill the gaping hole left by Ronaldo since.

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Michael Owen takes over Man United No 7 shirt from Cristiano Ronaldo

After it was agreed that Cristiano Ronaldo was set to embark on a new journey at the Spanish capital, Man United decided to pass on the No 7 shirt to Michael Owen. However, the former Liverpool star couldn’t produce the magic that the crowd at Old Trafford expected when he donned his new jersey for the first time. His three-season stint with Red Devils was marked by a mix of injuries and poor form. He managed to score a mere five goals in the Premier League until he departed for Stoke City in 2012, although one of them was the winner in a tense Manchester derby.

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Valencia, Di Maria, Depay fail to live up to Man United No 7 legacy

After Owen’s departure, the likes of Antonio Valencia, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay all donned the Man United No 7 shirt. However, the three footballers, who otherwise are considered exceptional talents, could not score more than six goals combined while managing 90 appearances collectively. Di Maria, in particular, turned out to be an arguably bigger disappointment. The former Real Madrid star was signed with the hope that he would replicate his form at Old Trafford as he did for Los Blancos while playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Alexis Sanchez, most recent Man United No 7 scores a mere three Premier league goals

Expectations were through the roof for Alexis Sanchez when the Chilean forward arrived from Arsenal in 2018. However, the former Barcelona striker couldn’t step it up for Man United when he put on the No. 7 shirt. Alexis Sanchez scored thrice in 32 appearances before being loaned out to Inter Milan. The total of five players that have tried to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford couldn’t manage to score more than 15 goals in the Premier League. As a matter of fact, Ronaldo alone scored 84 goals in the Premier League, truly establishing an unrivalled legacy at Old Trafford.

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