Anthony Martial announced himself to the Stretford End with a sensational goal on debut against Liverpool at the weekend.
The 19-year-old looks to be next in a long line of great United strikers. Tribalfootball has taken a look back at five of the best out and out strikers the Red Devils have had in the Premier League era:
5. Ruud van Nistlerooy
The Dutchman wasn't a scorer of great goals, but was a great goal scorer, netting 150 times in 219 appearances in his time at Old Trafford. A clinical finisher who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, Van Nistlerooy's best season came in 2002/03, when he scored 44 goals in all competitions to lead United to a league title. Was involved in several high profile stoushes at United, notably with Arsenal players after a late penalty miss in a 0-0 draw in 2003, and was eventually sold to Real Madrid for €14 million in 2006.
4. Andy Cole
'Goal King Cole' played for 13 different clubs in his career, but his best years were spent at United as part of a deadly partnership with Dwight Yorke. His 187 goals are the second most in Premier League history, and he is also the joint holder of the most goals in a Premier League game (five in a 9-1 thrashing of Ipswich Town in 1995). Spent his latter years as a substitute, but still played a major role in United's incredible success, and left for Blackburn Rovers in 2001 with five Premier League titles in eight seasons.
A virtual unknown when he signed for £1.5 million in 1996, Ole Gunnar Solksajer was a revered figure at Old Trafford when he retired 12 years later after 126 goals in 366 appearances. Famously scored four times in 12 minutes after coming on as a substitute in a game against Nottingham Forrest, however the Norwegian will always be most remembered for his role in the 1999 Champions League final. After a late equaliser from Teddy Sheringham, Solksjaer prodded home a stoppage time winner to complete a historic treble for the Red Devils, writing himself into United folklore in the process.
2. Eric Cantona
The flamboyant Frenchman signed for United from rivals Leeds in 1992 for a fee of £1.2 million, with a history of disciplinary issues clouding his obvious talent. The disciplinary issues continued (notably the infamous kung-fu kick incident in 1995) but on-field Cantona was pivotal as he lead a young United team to four Premier League titles in five seasons. A player whose combination of power and skill suited the English game to a tee, Cantona scored 82 goals and created countless more in a brilliant, if not colourful five year spell with United.
1. Wayne Rooney
Rooney scored a hat-trick on debut against Fernerbahce in 2004, and he hasn't looked back since, scoring 233 goals in 485 games for United. Crucial to United's successes since he joined as an 18-year-old from Everton in 2004, Rooney has won five Premier League titles and a Champions League, also scoring in the final of the 2011 edition. The talismanic skipper epitomizes what United are about, and the 29-year-old is closing in on Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time United record of 249 goals, a mark he may well surpass this season, after recently knocking Sir Bobby off his England perch with his 50th international goal.
