Blood covers the cheek of Manchester United's English striker Wayne Rooney as he remonstrates with referee Mike Jones after clashing with West Ham United's New Zealand defender Winston Reid
Wayne Rooney is one of Man United's hardest men of the 21st century, but doesn't crack the top 10 of all time
Manchester United have produced their fair share of hardmen over the years... here are 50 of the fiercest
Manchester United have welcomed a healthy portion of the Premier League's hardest stars through their doors over the years. However, the club's reputation as a landing zone for some of England's most notorious tough nuts dates back way further.
From the Busby Babes era to Ron Atkinson's reign, Sir Alex Ferguson's iconic teams and beyond, the club is renowned for housing hard characters. And Michael Carrick's squad of today could perhaps do with reviving that tradition in its bid to get back on top of the European order.
Not every intimidating character has been so fortunate to combine those traits with the same degree of quality on the pitch. That being said, Mirror Football has compiled a list of the hardest players to have pulled on the iconic red over the decades.
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2. Nobby Stiles
No list profiling the toughest players to walk United's hallowed halls would be complete without proper mention of Nobby Stiles. The 5'6" midfield anchor revelled in the muckier sides of the game and regularly embarrassed more physically imposing opposition, summed up best by an iconic image of him holding the 1966 World Cup trophy aloft with his false teeth in the other hand. ( Image: Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images)