If there is one thing any successful team needs, it's a good goalscorer. Unsurprisingly, Sir Alex Ferguson worked with many elite finishes during his time at Manchester United.
Indeed, you don't win 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups, and four League Cups – becoming one of the greatest managers of all time, if not the very best – without having a few key men who know how to put the ball in the back of the net.
Ferguson coached a number of elite forwards during his time at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney, Mark Hughes, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke, Eric Cantona, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Robin van Persie, all spring to mind, but the list could go on. One, however, stood out as the very best finisher.
Ferguson Hailed Ruud van Nistelrooy's Quality in Front of Goal
Alex Ferguson
Speaking in 2004, Manchester United manager Ferguson hailed Ruud van Nistelrooy as the finest goalscorer he had worked with at Old Trafford. He listed a number of club icons before insisting that the Dutch forward was 'the best finisher' he'd ever worked with:
"Ruud van Nistelrooy has been the best - without doubt the best finisher we have ever had at this club."
He added: "We have had some brilliant centre forwards at United. Eric Cantona was an incredible player. Then there was Mark Hughes and Brian McClair - who was very under-rated. "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a fabulous player. He would be good to have played with because you know that if you knock anything down to him he would score.
"Andy Cole had a great time with us. He and Dwight Yorke had that fantastic season in 1999 that year they were the best partnership in Europe.
"Teddy Sheringham was also good. Then you look at the current squad, with Alan Smith, Louis Saha and Wayne Rooney.
"But van Nistelrooy has been the best, absolutely the best finisher. If I had played alongside Ruud the problem would have been getting a chance ahead of him."
Rio Ferdinand and Stats Back Up Ferguson's Claim
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Now, it's important to remember that these quotes came in 2004, and while Ferguson had already worked with many legends at that time, he would still sign a few more brilliant forwards in the remaining nine years of his time at Old Trafford.
He does actually mention Rooney in his comment, but it's fair to say he had yet to see the very best of the Englishman just yet. The same can be said of Cristiano Ronaldo, while Van Persie arrived a little later to deliver his final Premier League title in decisive fashion.
That said, Ferguson would probably stand by his statement. After all, Van Nistelrooy's goalscoring rate shows just how elite he was in front of goal. The Dutch striker found the back of the net 150 times in 219 games.
His strike rate for a goal was one every 1.46 games. That's better than Rooney's rate of 253 goals in 559 games (2.2), Ronaldo's record of 145 in 346 (2.38), and Van Persie's 58 in 105 games (1.81).
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This former Manchester United centre-forward had a prolific goal-scoring return, netting 150 times in 219 appearances for the Red Devils.
Backing up Ferguson's stance, in 2023, Rio Ferdinand also claimed Van Nistelrooy was the club's greatest finisher, saying: "Ruud for me. I think all the other strikers (he’s played with) would agree with that, as well.
"Ole is up there, he was a thinking finisher. His finishes were always calm and he was great at instinctive things but I have to go with Ruud. He was clinical and the most ruthless finisher I’ve played with."
Stats via Transfermarkt