Everyone recognises Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest footballers of all time; some believe even the best. He joined Manchester United as an 18-year-old from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 with plenty of expectation and promise, and he certainly did not disappoint, going on to produce a phenomenal career filled with success. The Portuguese legend spent his best years at Real Madrid, after an excellent six-year spell at United, where he quickly rose to the top.
It all started with his debut against Bolton Wanderers at the beginning of the 2003/04 season. Ronaldo came off the bench for an impressive 29-minute cameo in a comfortable 4-0 win in the Premier League at Old Trafford. We all know what followed for Ronaldo in his career, but what happened to the 11 players who started on this day?
Manchester United Starting XI vs Bolton Wanderers (16/08/03)
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Tim Howard
Goalkeeper
Tim Howard of Manchester United
Former USA international Tim Howard was between the sticks against Bolton, and he was another Premier League debutant alongside Ronaldo. The goalkeeper joined the club in the summer of 2003 from MLS side MetroStars, now known as the New York Red Bulls. Despite a good start to his United career, a loss in confidence led to him being replaced by Roy Carroll midway through the season.
However, he regained his place for the FA Cup final, in which he kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Millwall. This was one of just two major trophies he won with the club, the other being a League Cup in 2006. He then signed for Everton, initially on loan, before spending the next nine years on Merseyside. Howard finished his career back in the USA and now regularly features as a Premier League analyst across the pond.
Gary Neville
Right Back
Gary-Neville in action for Manchester United
United legend and former captain Gary Neville unsurprisingly slotted in at right-back. Already 11 years into his career by the time Ronaldo debuted, Neville was one of the more experienced players and leaders in the side. The Englishman, one of the most decorated players ever to grace the Premier League, won eight league titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups, and two Champions Leagues.
Four years after his retirement, Neville tried his hand at management, taking over at La Liga side Valencia. It is safe to say it did not go to plan, as he lasted just over three months before being sacked. It meant a return to punditry, which has been much more comfortable for the ex-pro, establishing himself as one of the best and most recognisable in the country.
Mikael Silvestre
Centre-Back
Mikael Silvestre
Mikael Silvestre is mostly remembered for his nine-year spell at United, where he established partnerships with several centre-back partners. He made 34 league appearances in the 2003/04 season, mostly alongside Wes Brown, as they finished in third place. Silvestre enjoyed a very successful period in red, winning four league titles, an FA Cup, League Cup and a Champions League.
In 2008, the Frenchman signed a two-year contract with rivals Arsenal, where he spent two seasons, appearing in 26 league games. Upon the expiration of his contract, he joined Werder Bremen before seeing out his career with stints in the MLS and Indian Super League.
Rio Ferdinand
Centre-Back
Rio Ferdinand Man United
Rio Ferdinand joined Man United in 2002 as the most expensive British footballer of all-time. His second season at the club did not go to plan, however, as he missed almost all the second half of the campaign because of an eight-month ban given for missing a drug test.
Despite his long layoff, he returned strongly to the United lineup, going on to carve out a career as one of the greatest Premier League defenders ever. Ferdinand won six league titles and a Champions League in 12 years at United. After leaving in 2014, he joined QPR for one season, which proved to be his final before retirement. He now regularly appears on television as a pundit.
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Quinton Fortune
Left back
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South African left-back Quinton Fortune spent seven years at Old Trafford between 1999 and 2006. He only earned one Premier League medal, despite featuring in three different title-winning sides. However, he didn’t meet the 10-game requirement for a medal each season, though he was awarded one in 2002/03 due to a special dispensation.
In 2003/04, he started the opening day game against Bolton, the first of 18 starts that season. Following his release prior to the 2006/07 campaign, Fortune remained in the Premier League, joining Bolton. He ended his career with brief spells with Brescia, Tubize and Doncaster Rovers.
Nicky Butt
Defensive Midfield
Nicky Butt celebrating a goal for Manchester United
One of the Class of ’92, Nicky Butt, was a key member of United’s midfield. He spent 12 years at the club and was a veteran of the side when Ronaldo joined, though they spent just one season together. In fact, Butt was the player withdrawn for Ronaldo to make his debut. Despite a very successful career at Old Trafford, in which he lifted six Premier Leagues, three FA Cups and a Champions League, he handed in a transfer request in January 2004, ultimately leading to his departure in the summer.
Butt joined Newcastle United, where injuries slowed his start, before falling out of favour. He regained trust and played a more significant role three seasons into his spell, though was part of the side which got relegated in 2009. He captained the side to an immediate promotion, but retired after winning the Championship.
Roy Keane
Defensive Midfield
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane
Nowadays recognised for his brutal comments on television, Roy Keane was just as fiery on the pitch. The Irishman was entering the latter seasons of his Man United career when Ronaldo debuted, spending 12 years in total at the club. Keane was captain for eight years, and is the most successful in the club’s history, lifting nine trophies overall.
He spent two seasons alongside Ronaldo, before unexpectedly departing a few months into the 2005/06 campaign following rising tensions between himself and management. He joined his boyhood club, Celtic, but injuries led to his retirement at the end of the season. Managerial stints at Sunderland and Ipswich continued his footballing path, though he has now spent over a decade in punditry – as one of the most outspoken pundits covering the British game.
Paul Scholes
Attacking Midfield
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Just behind the striker was Paul Scholes, who was a one-club man throughout his career. The midfielder spent 20 years at United and is the third-highest appearance maker in club history with 718. One of the greatest midfielders and British players to play the game, Scholes’ technical and creative intelligence helped United to 11 Premier League titles, the second-most of any player.
The Englishman was one of the goalscorers in Ronaldo’s debut game, making it 3-0. He retired from the game twice, first in the summer of 2011, before returning to the pitch six months later to play another season-and-a-half. Very brief spells in management included stints at Oldham Athletic and Salford City.
Ryan Giggs
Left Wing
Ryan Giggs playing for Manchester United
The most decorated player in Premier League history is Ryan Giggs, who has 13 league titles to boast. The Welshman spent the entirety of his 24-year career at United, adding four FA Cups and a pair of Champions Leagues to his CV. Giggs played a prominent role in Ronaldo’s debut, scoring the first two goals in the 4-0 win. No player has ever come close to matching Giggs’ 983 appearances for the club, a record that may be unbreakable.
After a long and successful career, he transitioned to a player-coach role under David Moyes, then took over temporarily after Moyes’ dismissal. He continued as an assistant alongside Louis van Gaal, but turned to international management in 2018 with his home country, Wales. He would step aside in 2020 and officially resign in 2022 because of assault charges.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Right Wing
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the match
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earned a reputation as a ‘super-sub’ while in England, but found himself in the starting lineup for Ronaldo’s debut. His most famous moment with the club came in the 1999 Champions League final, in which he scored a last-minute winner off the bench to complete United’s turnaround at the death against Bayern Munich. Solskjaer finished his career at Old Trafford in 2007 following an 11-year spell, before stepping into management in 2011 with two spells at Norwegian club Molde. Sandwiched between was a stint with Cardiff City, where he oversaw a relegation.
Despite his previous struggles in Premier League management, Man United appointed him as manager on an interim basis; he ultimately secured the job permanently after an impressive spell. He was in charge when Ronaldo returned to Manchester in 2021, getting to manage his former teammate for three months before losing his job. As of 2025, he is in charge of Besiktas and is much-loved by his new fans in Turkey.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Striker
Ruud van Nistelrooy celebrates scoring for Manchester United
Up top was Ruud van Nistelrooy, the feared Dutch striker who scored 95 Premier League goals in five seasons. He netted the final goal in the 4-0 win over Bolton. Van Nistelrooy enjoyed a successful five years at the club, winning a Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup and cementing himself as one of the best ever to play in England. Wanting to leave, Van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2006. He would eventually reunite with Ronaldo, who moved to the Spanish capital in 2009. They would spend just one season back together, as Van Nistelrooy finished his career with two seasons at Hamburg and Malaga.
With previous experience as PSV head coach, he joined Erik ten Hag’s coaching staff at Man United for this season. When his compatriot was sacked in October, Van Nistelrooy took charge of three games on an interim basis, though departed when Ruben Amorim was appointed. He is now the manager of Leicester City, where he has won just twice and looks set to be relegated back to the Championship.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - correct as of 12/03/25