Dutch Devils: New boys Zirkzee and De Ligt line up with legends in a Man United Netherlands XI
Manchester United and Fulham kick off the Premier League season tonight, and Erik ten Hag has some new signings to bolster his squad, including a couple of his fellow countrymen.
Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee are the latest names from the Netherlands to ply their trade at Old Trafford and they join a long list of Dutch stars to have followed the same path. Here’s a team made up from those Red Devils who played in orange for their country. Is there a better non-British country XI from a single English club you can think of? The Mailbox would like to hear from you.
Goalkeeper: Edwin van der Sar
Joined United at 34 and left Old Trafford six years later with four Premier League medals and a Champions League win that saw him become the hero of the 2008 final after saving Nicolas Anelka’s penalty in the shootout.
Centre-back: Jaap Stam
Another Dutch star who helped Manchester United to Champions League glory, Jaap Stam was pivotal in the all-conquering 1998/99 campaign and despite his sudden departure from Old Trafford after just three years, he is still regarded as one of the greatest defenders of the Premier League era.
Centre-back: Matthijs de Ligt
Stam was of course part of the side who famously came from behind to dramatically beat Bayern Munich in ’99, and Matthijs de Ligt joins the Red Devils from the German giants. United will be the fourth Champions League winning club de Ligt has played for, despite only recently turning 25. Ajax and Juventus make up the quartet.
Centre-back: Daley Blind
Still going strong at 34, Daley Blind also played for Ajax and Bayern Munich as well as United, but he now turns out for La Liga surprise package Girona. His four-year spell at Old Trafford saw him win the FA Cup and Europa League.
Central midfield: Arnold Muhren
The trailblazer of this XI, Arnold Muhren was lining up for the Red Devils long before the birth of the Premier League, wowing the Old Trafford crowd in the early eighties with his devastatingly accurate left foot. Muhren joined at the age of 31 from Ipswich Town, where he was a key member of the famous side that lifted the UEFA Cup in 1981. He found success in Manchester too, winning the FA Cup with United, scoring the final goal of the ’83 replay which saw the Red Devils beat Brighton 4-0 after a 2-2 draw in the first match. He went on to achieve international glory in his late thirties as part of the victorious Dutch squad at Euro ’88.
Central midfield: Donny van de Beek
Now a figure of ridicule – something that has become a regular occurrence with Manchester United signings in the post-Ferguson era – Donny van de Beek actually seemed like a good buy in 2020 after an impressive start to his career at Ajax that saw him help the club reach the semi-finals of the Champions League, as well as become a regular in the Dutch international side. Despite scoring on his debut, van de Beek soon fell out of favour at Old Trafford and injuries made his chances of returning to the first-team even harder. Still only 27, he has a chance to revive his career with Girona.
Winger: Jordi Cruyff
Like van de Beek, Cruyff had a big reputation coming into Old Trafford and along with Karel Poborksy, he was tipped to be one of Alex Ferguson’s star signings following Euro ’96. However, fellow summer arrivals Ronny Johnson and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eclipsed the more illustrious pair at Old Trafford, famously helping United to the treble in 1999. Poborksy had long gone by that point, whilst Cruyff, who saw spells in the first team constantly disrupted by injury, spent the second half of that season on loan at Celta Vigo.
Winger: Memphis Depay
Thought to be a future legend of the club when he signed for United in 2015, Memphis Depay took on the burden of the iconic number seven shirt. Despite his obvious talent, things didn’t quite click for Depay at Old Trafford and he soon departed for Lyon. He’s gone on to win almost a century of caps at international level but it hasn’t turned out to be the stunning career many thought it might be.
Forward: Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee arrives at Old Trafford in his early twenties like Depay, but will be hoping for a much longer stay at the club than his international team-mate. Zirkzee joins from Italian side Bologna, where he was crucial in helping the Rossoblu to fifth place in Serie A last season and setting up a return to the Champions League for the first time since the sixties.
Forward: Robin Van Persie
A leaving present for Alex Ferguson is his final season as manager to help give the legendary boss his own parting gift to the Old Trafford faithful. Robin van Persie was sublime in the 2012/13 campaign after joining from rivals Arsenal, as he finally got his hands on the Premier League trophy. He proved to be the star of Ferguson’s swansong, winning the golden boot along the way.
Forward: Ruud van Nistelrooy
Joining van Persie upfront is his former international team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy. The former Old Trafford favourite has recently rejoined the club as Erik ten Hag’s assistant and fans will be hoping he can share some of his goalscoring know-how with the current crop of forwards. During his five-year stay in Manchester as a player, van Nistelrooy found the back of the net 95 times, winning the Premier League and FA Cup before his departure to Real Madrid.
Substitutes: Raimond van der Gouw (GK), Tyrell Malacia, Alexander Buttner, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Tahith Chong, Wout Weghorst