VAVEL continue the series of selecting the best XI players to represent Manchester United by geographical location. Having selected British and Irish teams, it is now the turn of mainland Europe. As with the previous teams, it is no easy feat!
We are going with a 3-4-3 formation.
Goalkeeper - Peter van der Sar
Or Edwin Schmeichel if you prefer. It is the first 'cop out' but how do you pick one over the other? They can have 45 minutes each! Two completely contrasting characters, with totally different styles, but both of them are true United legends.
Schmeichel spent eight magnificent years at Old Trafford. He won five titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup and the Champions League. Two doubles and a treble. He was part of two truly great United teams, the '94 and '99 vintages.
To be part of that success means you must have been good, but Schmeichel was an integral part during his time at United. He was a man mountain, his sheer size was imposing, to say the least. Yet considering his bulk, he was one of the agilest 'keepers you will see.
He made some saves that were beyond belief, hanging in the air and using his bucket hand to keep the ball out of the net. In one-on-one situations, he put the fear of God into strikers and was rarely beaten. His penalty saves in the '99 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal gave United the momentum to win the treble.
His throw was incredible, and often he would set up counter attacks by throwing well over the half way line. He was vocal, always cajoling and screaming at his defenders. Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister took the brunt in his early years!
He struggled with crosses when he first came over from Brondby, but he adapted quickly and was an amazing servan, a bargain at £500,000.
Van der Sar was cool and calm. He was so laid back he was horizontal. He wasn't loud like Schmeichel, but his demeanour had a calming effect. He did everything with a quiet efficiency.
Just the four league titles, two League Cups and a Champions League in his six seasons! He arguably played in lesser teams than Schmeichel's and as a result, it is a huge testament to him that he helped bring so much success.
He was a great shot stopper, but his decision making was spot on. With his lanky frame, he would claim crosses like shelling peas and take pressure off on numerous occasions.
He holds the record for the longest without conceding a goal at 1,311 minutes when United were at times impregnable. It was a shame that he was 34 when he signed for United. Sir Alex Ferguson had tried previously to sign him, but he came late in his career.
He was brilliant for United and his crowning moment came in the penalty shootout in the 2008 Champions League final when he saved from Nikolas Anelka and handed United the trophy.
David De Gea has been wonderful for United, and could rival these two if he stays on at United. These two set the bar though, and if pushed then maybe Schmeichel would edge it
Centre Half - Jaap Stam
One of Sir Alex's best signings and without question his biggest mistake. Stam was signed for a large fee from PSV Eindhoven in his native Holland and he was a hugely imposing figure, just like Schmeichel.
He was strong as an ox, but he was quick and read the game well. He was as close to perfection as you could get. In his three seasons at United, he picked up the title in each year. Of course, in 1999 he also won the Champions League and FA Cup. The year he was sold, United won nothing.
It was hugely unpopular when he was sold, and a huge shock. There were rumours that it was due to comments in his autobiography about 'tapping up', but Ferguson maintained he felt Stam was losing his pace. He later admitted selling Stam was his biggest regret.
He never really had a partner as such, with the likes of Ronny Johnsen, Henning Berg, David May and latterly Wes Brown all playing alongside him at various stages. It didn't really matter, as when Stam lined up, he was the size of two players anyway.
Stam's strength was obviously his best asset, but he was good in the air and a good player also. He could pass long and short, and was just an all-round top player.
United had some ding-dong battles with an excellent Arsenal side during Stam's time. One, in particular, stands out; when Roy Keane scored two at Highbury in a 2-1 victory. There was a flashpoint, as there often was, and Patrick Vieira gripped Stam around the throat.
Vieira was no shrinking violet, but you had to wonder if he needed a drugs test after that incident. The sight of Stam looking manic, veins bulging, must have given the Frenchman nightmares. There is hard, and there is Jaap Stam.
Centre Half - Laurent Blanc
If Stam really was sold because of a lack of pace, then it was odd, to say the least, that a replacement came in the form of the 35-year-old Blanc. Blanc made Steve Bruce look positively rapid.
His early time at United was diffcult, and the frenetic nature of the Premier League looked like it would overwhelm the Frenchman. yet Blanc makes this team because he overcame that tricky spell and showed what a wonderful defender he was.
He was one of the most intelligent defenders to have played the game. Whatever early troubles he had, he worked them out and in his second year, he helped United to the title before hanging up his boots.
He was super cool, and Ferguson said that like van der Sar, he had tried to sign Blanc many times previously. It is a shame he never did, because the player that wore a United shirt for two years was classy. When he had legs, he must have been a dream.
So cool and calm, he never looked ruffled. Yet he didn't mind the dirty stuff. He was superb in the air in both boxes. It was his composure and his reading of the game that took him to another level.
He did have his friend and French teammate, Fabien Barthez, behind him and they may have been a consideration when Sir Alex took the plunge with Blanc. It is debatable whether Barthez helped though!
He would play in this team as a sweeper, sitting in and organising, whilst Stam and the next uncompromising centre-half could scare the life out of anyone that came near them.
Centre Half - Nemanja Vidić
These teams throw up some lovely potential combinations. Keane and Whiteside in the midfield for the Irish, and Stam and Vidić as the European central defensive partnership. Lord help the strikers!
Vidić was as tough as they came. He formed a great partnership with a different type of player in Rio Ferdinand, and they complemented each other perfectly. Yet Stam would have also, and those two as a pair would have been fearsome.
Vidić was no nonsense. He would put his head anywhere, but one of his strengths was he did not complicate things. If he was under pressure, he had no qualms about kicking the ball out of play. He would get into position and organise.
It may seem that this shows a lack of ability. Of course. He wasn't there to play. He was there to defend. He did so brilliantly. So many times defenders wil keep a ball alive and put their goalkeeper under pressure with a back pass. Vidić had more sense.
He won five titles, three league cups and the Champions League and gave United great service, including captaining the side on many occasions.
An added bonus to Vidić was that he could hurt teams at the other end. He scored 21 goals in his 300 United appearances. Not exactly prolific, but he could cause lots of problems when he went up for set pieces and more often than not won headers.
A brutal pairing, with a general in behind. Onto the midfield.
Left Wing Back - Patrice Evra
Patrice Evra was a left back for United, but a winger for Monaco, and in an era where wing backs are en vogue Evra would be perfect. He was tenacious in defence, but it was his attacking instincts that were his main attribute.
He arrived in January 2006, and was unveiled alongside Vidic. His debut was not one he would want to remember, having a torrid time in an away Manchester derby, and getting substituted at half-time. He would overcome his teething problems and prove to be an absolute stalwart.
He was named in the FIFPro World XI in 2009, alongside Vidic, and it might be fair to say that the pair of them were at the peak of their powers at that time. Yet they both continued to have success, and Evra even prolonged a huge trophy haul beyond his United career.
After David Moyes' ill-fated reign, Evra was set to stay on at United when Louis van Gaal came on board, at the age of 33. Yet an offer from Juventus, and the signing of the young protege Luke Shaw, meant he and the club had a change of heart and he was bound for Juventus.
He was a modern full back. He was offensive in his approach, and although he caused problems when he drove at players, he probably never got as many assists and goals as he should have.
That said, he seemed to re-invent himself in the latter stages of his United career by coming forward for corners and getting his head on set pieces.
He is now a social media sensation, with his belting out of various songs and letting people know that it is a beautiful life, and above all he loves United.
All in all, he was an excellent defender and excellent at penetrating defences, a United legend and deserves a place in this excellent side.
Centre Midfield - Paul Pogba
Well, this maybe a controversial selection. Although he joined United at 16 years of age from Le Harve and showed amazing ability at youth level, he only played a handful of games before departing for Juventus.
Money or lack of opportunities? Now, it doesn't really matter because he left and that was that. He was a tremendous talent with tremendous potential, but he started to fulfil that potential in Italy with Juventus.
Until José Mourinho made him the most expensive footballer in the world, that is.
Based on what he has done for United, it is a tough pick. He is not a legend yet. When you think that not many Europeans have played in United's engine room, then it is not so hard.
Under Sir Alex, Roy Keane (yes, he could be classed as European), Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have been the mainstays. So whilst Pogba may not be in the same bracket yet, he will be.
Pogba has strength, amazing skill, he can pass and dribble. He is an exceptional footballer, Yet he hasn't achieved anything much with United. A League Cup winners medal is good. It is only a start. In five years time there may be no debate.
The challenger for this position was Bastian Schweinsteiger, but whilst Basti has achieved more than Pogba in the game and would probably be better in this team at controlling the game, he left as a great player but not a United legend.
Pogba will be a United legend.
Centre Midfield - Ander Herrera
Such an underrated and quality player. He gets in easily in a position where there is no real contenders with United blood. He has achieved more than Schweinsteiger and Pogba together in so much as he played in both United's recent cup wins.
He was signed for United by van Gaal, but was coveted for a long time after helping Atletico Bilbao destroy United in the Europa League.
His first season was strange, as he produced great displays when required, but he didn't play as much as he probably would have liked. Maybe the fact that van Gaal liked the ball to be kept, and that Herrera likes to play the ball forward has a bearing on his lack of appearances.
When he did appear he did well. He was in the team that beat Crystal Palace to win the FA Cup, but since Mourinho has taken over, he has flourished. He has become as integral as the world's most expensive footballer.
He is so clever in possession, he can spot a pass and keep things ticking over, but when it comes to defending he can put his foot in too. He may not be the best United midfielder ever but he also has time on his side and he could end up with a great United career.
Right Wing Back - Andrei Kanchelskis
When you see Cristiano Ronaldo running at defenders in full flight, it is a fantastic sight. Yet when you saw Kanchelskis in full flight it was better. Honestly.
When Kanchelskis stood up a defender and decided to go past him, it was game over. He went past players with the ball, and continued to go away from them such was his blistering pace.
With him on one wing and either Lee Sharpe or Ryan Giggs on the other, in the years from 1991-95, United were explosive on the counter attack,
He was part of the team that won the league in 1992-93 and the double in 1993-94 and anybody that appeared in those teams deserve legendary status.
He cost a measly £650,000 and it was a real bargain at the time. He was not Ronaldo, but had he not left United when he did his career could have been a lot more successful than it was.
There was various rumours about his departure from United, but what is clear is that whoever instigated the move made a mistake. He should have stayed, and delayed the inevitable coming of David Beckham.
Forward - Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud was a striker supreme. In the modern era, there hasn't been a more predatory striker than the talented Dutchman. He was lethal in the box, and scored 150 goals for United in five seasons, making 219 appearances.
That is a phenomenal rate. When United created chances and they fell to Ruud, you could almost bet your house on it ending up in the back of the net.
He was signed in 2001, but he should have arrived a year earlier. He suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury with PSV Eindhoven, which cast a shadow over the transfer. However, Sir Alex was determined to get him and did.
What was most impressive about his time at United was that he was able to adapt to the lone striker role. United had always been 4-4-2, but in Europe especially, Sir Alex started to pack the midfield. It took some adjusting, but he grew into the role, and kept up his scoring rate.
He won a league title and an FA Cup where he scored twice in the final victory over Millwall. He also won a League Cup medal in 2006, but he did so as an unused substitute and that game was the beginning of the end.
With United cruising against Wigan, Ferguson chose to give new boys Vidic and Evra a run out in the final, and having been overlooked in favour of Louis Saha and Wayne Rooney in the starting line-up, Ruud saw red and refused to participate in the post-match celebrations.
There were reports that he had been taunting Cristiano Ronaldo in training, over what he perceived as preferential treatment from Ferguson. That obviously did not go down well, and at the end of the season, he was sold to Real Madrid for a knockdown price of around £8 million.
He was the best striker since Denis Law and spearheads this attack.
Forward - Cristiano Ronaldo
Ruud may not be happy with this selection, but he would have to suck it up! He plays on the left, he plays on the right....he can play where he wants.
When he mesmerised United in a pre-season friendly playing for Sporting Lisbon in 2003, it prompted Sir Alex to act quickly and sign him up. He was 18 years of age.
He was handed the No.7 shirt, which had been vacated when Beckham was surprisingly sold to Real Madrid. He made his debut at Old Trafford on the opening day against Bolton Wanderers and produced a scintillating cameo with some outrageous step overs.
He was raw, but extremely talented. In his first season he won the FA Cup and in 2006 he won the League Cup. He scored in both finals. What you could see in those first three years was a progression. He was by no means the finished article, but he was improving all the time.
Even at an early stage, he showed great courage. He always wanted the ball, and no matter how many times he got fouled he still wanted possession and was still prepared to take players on.
He was also developing his selfish streak and began to abandon his wide starting position. Gary Neville admitted he was pulling his hair out trying to get Ronaldo to keep his shape, but when Ronaldo really started to kick on, he changed his way of thinking.
In his first three seasons, he scored 27 goals. That is a reasonable return for a wide man, but he was only getting started. When he started to wander, he really hit the straps. In his last three seasons with United, he scored 91 goals.
In 2008 he helped United to win the League and Champions League double, scored 42 goals and won his first Ballon D'or. Then he told Sir Alex he wanted to go to Real Madrid.
He was persuaded to stay for another season in which United won their third League title in a row, and he left in 2009 for a world record £80 million - it was a bargain. He had steadily improved into a ridiculous player.
He is still rightly lauded by United fans, and he walks into any 'Best XI', but it is always a source of anguish that he became almost the perfect footballer at United and then left.
He plays behind Ruud, and can roam where he likes.
Forward - Eric Cantona
Erm... obviously.
It is always good to save the best until last. And Cantona deserves top billing.
Things could have been so different if Sheffield Wednesday had accepted a huge bid that United submitted for David Hirst. He was a good player but no Cantona.
Wednesday's rebuffal was a Godsend. When Leeds United enquired about a United player, Sir Alex asked about Cantona, and a crazy transfer and a crazy price (£1.2 million) set United on the path to immeasurable glory.
Cantona was the catalyst for all of United's glory in the Premier League era. It is folly to say it was all down to him, but he was the talisman from the moment he set foot through Old Trafford's doors.
He was big, strong, great in the air. He was incredibly skilful, and had such beautiful flair. His upturned collars showed his arrogance, and he played the game on the edge.
He seemed to be so in control in possession, and was incredibly calm, yet he had a fuse and it could be lit at any time. And was. He had a chequered history in France, and many disciplinary issues, hence hsi arrival in England.
Yet he was a supreme footballer. And dedicated. When he came to United, they were still searching for a League title after 26 years. The team had picked up cups, but his influence helped them end that agonising wait for a Championship.
A double followed, and United went agonisingly close to repeating the feat in 1995, finishing runners-up in the league and FA Cup. Cantona's absence in the second half had an impact, as a kung fu kick on a spectator earned him an eight-month ban.
It was touch-and-go if he would return to United after his ban, as he was also jailed, but his sentence changed on appeal. Sir Alex managed to persuade him to come back, and then he really came to the fore.
United were now a team of relative kids, with the class of '92 making up the majority. Cantona in his senior role was now captain, and in 1995-96 he scored a number of crucial goals that helped United win the double.
The goal he scored in the '96 final against Liverpool was incredible. The way he adjusted himself as it fell to him outside the penalty area, and then unleashed a rocket of a hit through a crowd of players was amazing.
He was a maverick. He was a genius. After helping United to another title in 1997, he quit. Just like that. He was only 30, but his decision was probably down to the Champions League semi-final defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
United dominated both legs, and lost both legs 1-0. Cantona missed several chances, and he did look like he was a little out of sorts. He was by no mean finished, but he was not going to fade away. He went out at the top, and on his terms.
He paved the way for United's continued success, and he can play behind van Nistelrooy and weave his magic.
Europe has strength and flair
This United team would be characterised by a rock solid defence, and would have pace and flair in abundance up front.
In the Premier League era, United's engine room has been occupied by British and Irish stalwarts. So that is the one area where it was difficult to choose a true 'legend'. Yet Pogba and Herrera will do in that area.
At the back, it would be so hard to get a sniff against the three choices. Ronny Johnsen and Hennig Berg deserve a mention, because they never let United down and they were part of a great period for United.
The wide players would provide great balance, one rapid and attack-minded, the other quick, but able to defend.
The forwards cannot be opposed. You have everything that you could wish for. Pace, strength, skill and flair.
With the high standard of goalkeepers - De Gea would hardly weaken the team if he were picked - then this team would be a fantastic watch.
Of course, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be one of the substitutes, without question. He was almost as deadly as Ruud, but he was so dedicated, he is, without doubt, a United legend.
Next up is the Rest of the World XI.