Summary
Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of his final game for Manchester United on the 19th May 2013.
His side, who had already been crowned Premier League champions, drew 5-5 against West Brom.
The players who featured that day went on to have very different careers.
19th May 2013. For many, that date is likely a rather unremarkable one. Manchester United fans may remember it, though, as the final ever game that Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of as the Red Devils' head honcho. 26 years on from taking the job, the Scot retired as the greatest coach in sports history and had already picked up his 13th and final Premier League title that campaign.
Little did anyone know that this would be the final time in more than a decade that United would be the top dogs in English football, and part of the early stages of their decline was sometimes put down to the fact that the squad David Moyes inherited wasn't good enough. With that in mind, let's see who Ferguson lined up with as he took his final bow against West Bromwich Albion—and you can be the judge of how they would fare against the current crop of players.
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Goalkeeper
Anders Lindegaard
Manchester United's Anders Lindegaard
The 2012/13 season was the one in which David de Gea cemented himself as United's true number one after a difficult debut campaign. However, the Spaniard did not get the pleasure of standing between the sticks on the final day, as that honour went to back-up goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard.
The Dane's stint at Old Trafford ended in 2015, when he ironically joined West Brom before moving to Preston and later having stints away from English football. He retired in 2023, and a quick look at his LinkedIn profile shows that he now works as a Business Development Specialist at Swiss bank UBS.
Right-Back
Antonio Valencia
Antonio Valencia - Manchester United
Having originally been brought in as Cristiano Ronaldo's replacement, Ecuadorian superstar Antonio Valencia became a more versatile option down the years at Old Trafford, eventually becoming one of the better right-backs the club have had at their disposal. It was in this position that he started Sir Alex's final game too.
His run at the Theatre of Dreams saw him become captain and outlast Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and almost Jose Mourinho, with Valencia eventually returning to Ecuador in the summer of 2019. A short stint in Mexico followed before the 39-year-old called it quits in 2021. He’s now the assistant manager at Academia AV in Ecuador.
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Centre-Back
Phil Jones
phil jones man utd
Ferguson believed that Phil Jones was going to go on to become one of the greatest players in Manchester United history. Needless to say, that didn't come to fruition. The defender was plagued by injuries throughout his career, though he never left the club until he retired after Erik ten Hag became manager.
Jones has been candid about his mental health and the struggles he's faced with injuries, and while for many that would be enough to turn their back on the sport, he is still involved as part of the coaching staff for United’s Under-18s.
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Centre-Back
Jonny Evans
Manchester United centre-back Jonny Evans
The only man in this XI still playing for Manchester United. Jonny Evans came through the academy at the club and was the sort of player who, had Ferguson never left, would likely have stayed put too. However, Louis van Gaal didn't rate the Irishman and sent him packing to—yes, you guessed it—West Brom, before he later moved to Leicester.
After his contract with the Foxes ran out, Evans linked up with the United squad ahead of Erik ten Hag's second season in charge and did enough to earn a one-year deal. He impressed so much that term that he was handed an extension, though it appears his tenure at the club will likely be over soon.
Left-Back
Alexander Buttner
MixCollage-12-May-2025-06-57-PM-5836
Dutch full-back Alexander Buttner was still in his first season at Old Trafford when Ferguson retired. He featured sporadically, but did score on his Premier League debut in a 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic and he even got on the scoresheet in this very game against West Brom.
Buttner lasted just one more season before being flogged, and has had quite the journeyman career since then, playing in Russia, the United States and Belgium. Now 36, he is currently enjoying a second spell at Vitesse Arnhem of Chelsea loan fame, with his contract set to expire in 2026.
Central Midfield
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick Man Utd
One of the most underrated players in Premier League history, Michael Carrick was the quiet worker who often kept United ticking while other stars shone. When Ferguson left, his role within the dressing room grew as he became a leader and one of the most experienced figures at the club. Health issues meant he featured less toward the end of his career, but Jose Mourinho kept him among his backroom staff when he retired.
Carrick stayed on as a coach until Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left, and even enjoyed a three-game unbeaten run as interim boss. He is now in charge of Championship side Middlesbrough, having impressed on the sidelines but not quite managing to take them to the play-offs in any of his attempts so far.
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Central Midfiel d
Anderson
Anderson - Manchester United in action against Jay Tabb - Coventry City
Once handed the prestigious European Golden Boy award, Anderson was certainly an entertaining player, but his free spirit and careless attitude stopped him from becoming the player he promised to be. By 2013, he was certainly on the periphery of the United squad, but Ferguson never got rid of him and maintained a soft spot for the Brazilian.
Following a loan spell at Fiorentina in 2014, Anderson returned to his homeland, where images of him using an oxygen tank while on the substitutes' bench startled fans and showcased his fall from grace. He had a short spell in Turkey in 2019 before retiring in his early thirties.
Right Wing
Tom Cleverley
man utd cleverley
Another United academy product, Tom Cleverley arguably had his best couple of seasons between 2011 and 2013. He was consistently present in the first-team squad and did receive plenty of game time. He even became an England international, though he was once voted as one of the worst players to do so.
Needless to say, without Ferguson's backing, things were never quite the same for the midfielder, but he still managed to carve out a respectable Premier League career with the likes of Aston Villa, Everton, and Watford. The latter club he would go on to manage, but he was sacked at the end of the 2024/25 season after a disappointing second half of the campaign that left the Hornets bottom of the Championship form table.
Left Wing
Shinji Kagawa
Shinji Kagawa at Man Utd
A player that promised so much when he first arrived at Old Trafford, Shinji Kagawa was just not able to produce the same level of quality as he did at Borussia Dortmund. With the exception of a hat-trick against Norwich City, the Japanese international was an average addition to the squad and never really hit his stride in English football.
No doubt a skilful and talented player, he ultimately got lost in the shuffle with the other attacking players available at the time. However, he did score the first goal of this eventful afternoon with a bullet header down into the ground and past former United shot-stopper Ben Foster.
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Striker
Javier Hernandez
Javier Hernandez (Chicharito) Man Utd
A beloved figure at Old Trafford and one of Ferguson's last brilliant signings, Javier Hernandez made £6 million look like pennies when he first came to United. Despite competing with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, and Danny Welbeck, the Mexican hit the 20-goal mark in his first term and constantly popped up with big goals at vital moments, including a goal in this very fixture.
The role of a poacher was sadly dying out at the time, meaning 'Chicharito's' fire would eventually fizzle out. He did enjoy a loan spell at Real Madrid and was outstanding at Bayer Leverkusen. He is now back in Mexico, playing for Chivas after retiring from European football following his move to LA Galaxy.
Striker
Robin van Persie
robin-van-persie-manchester-united
Sir Alex likely wouldn't have retired without unseating Manchester City at the top of the Premier League after they pipped him to the post the season before. So, in the same breath, you can say he would not have retired in 2013 without Robin van Persie. The Dutchman signed from Arsenal in the summer of 2012, and his goals were the most pivotal part of the Red Devils' run to their 20th league title—fitting, since that was the number on the back of his shirt.
Van Persie would stay for another two years and fail to hit the same heights, before moving to Fenerbahce, for whom he scored a consolation goal at Old Trafford in a Europa League game—something celebrated by every corner of the stadium. He has now turned his hand to management himself and is in charge of Eredivisie club Feyenoord.
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Subs Bench
Ryan Giggs and Adnan Januzaj feature
The three men who came off the bench at the Hawthorns were the most tenured that Sir Alex could choose from. He couldn't sign off without giving Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand some minutes—the latter especially, as he scored what turned out to be the winning goal in Ferguson's final Old Trafford match against Swansea City. All three have now retired, with Scholes and Ferdinand both working for TNT Sports.
David de Gea went on to become one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and his form for Fiorentina is making every United fan wish they hadn't replaced him with Andre Onana. Patrice Evra is set to fight in MMA and has even called out Luis Suarez. Nemanja Vidic ran for the Serbian FA presidency in 2023 but pulled out of the race. And then there is the enigmatic Adnan Januzaj, who became the next big thing in the first post-Fergie season. Now, he is struggling for game time in Spain.
Ferguson's final Man United XI
Player
Anders Lindegaard
Antonio Valencia
Phil Jones
Jonny Evans
Alexander Buttner
Michael Carrick
Anderson
Tom Cleverley
Shinji Kagawa
Javier Hernandez
Robin van Persie