Manchester United's best team under Sir Alex Ferguson: Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes are among Tom McDermott's picks

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Ferguson elevated United into one of the biggest clubs in the world, and he had some fabulous players during his 27-year reign at Old Trafford.

It's a tough job to pick out just 11 players from all those trophy-laden years under Ferguson, so we've enlisted journalist and Man Utd fan Tom McDermott to make his pick of the bunch.

After so many great players over the years there are some big names who haven't made the final cut, but only 11 can get on the pitch!

Let us know your thoughts by getting in touch @SportingLifeFC or Email us here.

Peter Schmeichel

The “Great Dane” was the best ‘keeper on the planet for most of the 1990s. There was a period a couple of seasons ago where David de Gea was pushing him all the way, but Schmeichel took greater command of his penalty area and if he did make an error, it was generally forgotten about with a match-winning save the week after.

You’ve heard about the goal “shrinking” when a striker found himself in that lonely one-against-one situation – but with Schmeichel, it felt like the goal almost disappeared.

It wasn’t just his colossal long throw or his athletic ability that made Schmeichel the best, he was also a world class communicator, and those playing in front of him knew exactly what was expected of them.

Gary Neville

In terms of natural ability, Neville wasn’t as gifted as some of the other names in this team. But, that contributed to his greatness in this position, because his incredible pursuit of being the very best defender he could be, took him all the way to the top. It’s hard to think of many wingers who got the better of him, and he went on to develop a fine understanding down the right with his academy mate David Beckham, not just at club level, but for country too.

Neville was a United “captain” before he was officially given the armband and his presence and character, even from a young age, boosted and improved the performance of those around him – just ask a young Cristiano Ronaldo.

Jaap Stam

The best thing to happen to Stam was the error he made against Arsenal and Nicolas Anelka in the Charity Shield on his debut in 1998, because that was the only change he allowed his opponents during his all too short United career.

Imposing, powerful, exceptional in the air, Stam was a strikers worst nightmare. How do we know Stam was a genuine world class performer? Shortly after Sir Alex Ferguson sold him to Lazio, the Scot admitted it was one of his biggest mistakes.

Rio Ferdinand

A real Rolls-Royce of a central defender who made everything look so easy. Just when a striker thought he might have sight of goal, Ferdinand would glide in, take the ball and get another attack started. You never saw him take to the floor in desperation and he was everything a “typical” British central defender isn’t.

Ferdinand was streets ahead of most defenders technically and a player whose physical strength was vastly underrated.

Dennis Irwin

The easiest selection to make. Irwin performed at eight or nine out of ten most weeks and was a full-back ten years ahead of his time. Irwin was first and foremost an excellent defender both positionally and in one-versus-one situations. Two-footed as well, he would literally allow his feet to do the talking, and a serious threat in the attacking third of the field.

Free-kicks? A penalty? No problem.

Big games require cool heads, but Irwin had that and so much more. He was pure class from the very first moment he pulled the red shirt on, to his last.

Cristiano Ronaldo

In the three seasons before he left, he was without doubt, the finest player I’ve ever seen in a red shirt. I remember the Champions League game at home to Villarreal in September 2008. It was a few months after we’d won the Champions League, and he’d been out injured.

I watched as he warmed-up down the touchline. It took your breath away because here was a player supposedly returning from an injury but he was so, so sharp, strong, and still streets ahead of all the other players on the pitch.

The variety of goals he scored was incredible and even though he was part of such a fantastic team, United wouldn’t have reached back-to-back Champions League finals without him in 2008 and 2009.

Roy Keane

He probably wouldn’t admit it now, but Keane was like Ferguson - just out on the pitch. His performance in the semi-final second leg of the Champions League tie against Juventus in Turin in 1999, will go down as one of the finest individual performances I’ve seen from any player.

Keane was so much more that a scowling hard man, and he could really play. He remains one of the best 15-20 yard passers of a football I’ve seen.

Captain. Leader. Dominator. It’s such a shame that in recent years, because of the way he left the club, that he remains so bitter. It would be nice to see him return in some capacity one day, but that you’d imagine is unlikely.

Paul Scholes

Ronaldo was the greatest player I’ve seen in a red shirt, but Scholes was my favourite and not far behind. The quiet genius adapted his game from forward, to “number 10”, to midfielder, to deep lying playmaker - and was world class in each role.

• WATCH: Paul Scholes' best five Man Utd goals

Scholes knew where the ball was going before it arrived at his feet, and his timing in the penalty area with his feet or head, finished off many a team.

He was arguably at his greatest in the autumn of his career, sitting in front of the back four and dictating play from deep. The greatest crime was at international level and the failure of several England managers to play him in his preferred central midfield position.

Ryan Giggs

Giggs will go down as United’s greatest ever player because of time served and trophies won and like Scholes, altered and adapted his position, in order to prolong his career.

Few could travel with the ball as quickly as Giggs in his pomp and he terrorised the best defences in Europe for over a decade. In full flight he was impossible to stop but played with an intelligence you don’t often associate with pacey wide men.

His winning goal in the semi-final of the FA Cup against Arsenal in 1999 will never be forgotten and neither should his general work-rate across his career and his steely desire to return after continually being written off.

Giggs mental strength rarely gets a mention but to play so consistently well at such a level for so long, means that it must go down as one of his greatest attributes.

Ruud van Nistelrooy

What a striker! A goalscoring machine that had everything. I have a specific moment that summed up his desire and thirst to score, and it occurred during United’s home game against Bolton in August 2003.

The match is well known for being Cristiano Ronaldo’s first game for the club, having signed three days earlier. The Portuguese debutant won a penalty shortly after being introduced but van Nistelrooy was denied from the spot by a full stretched Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Later van Nistelrooy went on to rectify his error in open play, smashing the ball high into the top corner. It was his celebration after and his angry attempt to kick the floor that stuck with me. So disgruntled with the earlier penalty miss he took all his frustration out with the goal, but it still wasn’t quite enough for him. He was hurting.

The Dutchman’s number of goals will give you hours of enjoyment on YouTube but we shouldn’t forget his outstanding strength and deceptive pace. His goal against Fulham in 2003 where he dribbled past several players to score illustrates this, as does his goal against Arsenal at Highbury that same year.

Eric Cantona

For many the easiest choice of the XI. For me, one of the most difficult. Cantona edges ahead of Wayne Rooney, because of the impact he made when he joined, delivering that first Premier League title, and because of the influence he had on the other players, most notably the Class of ’92.

One slight criticism is that Cantona never really delivered in Europe, but he did retire when he knew his star was about to fade and went out with us still wanting more, which in hindsight, was a great decision.

The man was pure theatre, from his leap into the stand at Selhurst Park, to his quotes, recovery, mesmeric strikes and his comeback against Liverpool.

Cantona was the orchestrator who was regarded as a talented journeyman before finding his church at Old Trafford. The congregation simply adored him.

FULL LINE-UP

More best XIs

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