Sir Alex Ferguson names DENIS IRWIN ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney as the first player in his dream Man United XI because Irishman was an 'eight out of ten' most weeks

  • Sir Alex Ferguson has named Denis Irwin as the first name in his dream United XI
  • Ferguson has been blessed with a whole host of stars during his stint at the club 
  • Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney have played at United 
  • However, the legendary manager named Irish defender Irwin as his go-to player  

Sir Alex Ferguson was blessed with a whole host of star names during his glorious 27-year tenure at Manchester United, but the legendary Scot's first name on his Dream XI team-sheet is certainly unexpected.

Ferguson nurtured the careers of the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs at Old Trafford, romping to a mind-boggling 13 Premier League titles.

Iterations of a Greatest XI have been drafted by supporters over the years, but none of the names above would be Fergie's go-to player.

Sir Alex Ferguson (R) has named Denis Irwin (L) as the first name in his dream United XI

Sir Alex Ferguson (R) has named Denis Irwin (L) as the first name in his dream United XI 

Instead, Denis Irwin - dubbed 'Mr Reliable' - would be Ferguson's first name on the teamsheet, the Scot has revealed. 


'Honestly, I would say Denis Irwin would be the one certainty to get in the team. I called him an eight out of ten,' he said via The Sun.

'At Highbury in one game, he had a bad pass back in the last minute and [Dennis] Bergkamp came in and scored.

'After the game the press said: "You must be disappointed in that pass back." I said: "Well, one mistake in 10 years isn't bad." He was an unbelievable player.' 

Ferguson has been blessed with a whole host of star names during his time at Old Trafford

Ferguson has been blessed with a whole host of star names during his time at Old Trafford

However, Irish defender Irwin (R) is the first name on Fergie's team-sheet, he has revealed

However, Irish defender Irwin (R) is the first name on Fergie's team-sheet, he has revealed

A £625,000 recruit from Oldham in 1990, Irwin nailed down the left back berth for Ferguson for 12 years, before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2002. 

The Irishman made 468 appearances for the club during that time, winning seven top flight titles, two FA Cups, one League Cup and a Cup Winners' Cup.  

He would go on to make 468 appearances for the club over the next 12 years - playing his part in seven Premier League title wins, two FA Cups, a League Cup and a Cup Winners' Cup. 

Irwin also starred during United's famous Champions League triumph against Bayern Munich in 1999, playing the full 90 minutes.

The Scot said that Irwin was an 'eight out of ten' most weeks during his 12 years at Old Trafford

The Scot said that Irwin was an 'eight out of ten' most weeks during his 12 years at Old Trafford

'People ask you: "Who is your best Man United team?" and it's absolutely impossible,' Ferguson said in 2013.

'It is absolutely impossible. You look at the strikers I had, going back to [Brian] McClair, [Mark] Hughes, [Andy] Cole, Cantona, [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Louis] Saha, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, [Dwight] Yorke, Teddy Sheringham.

'Then to the present players - Wayne Rooney, [Robin] van Persie, Chicharito [Javier Hernandez]. How do you pick out of that? Cantona and somebody else maybe?

'The midfield was probably a bit easier because you have [Roy] Keane, [Bryan] Robson and Scholes - they were fantastic players - and [David] Beckham, Ronaldo and Giggs.'

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.