United fans are in no doubt who is the club’s greatest ever number one

Manchester United fans have been spoilt over the years with numerous top-class goalkeepers between the posts. The Peoples Person asked fans to take on the almost impossible task of choosing one of them as the best in the club’s history. Peter Schmeichel Fans decided that the great Dane was the chosen one. 52% of supporters felt Schmeichel was the clear choice as the number one keeper. Schmeichel played 398 matches for the club between 1991 and 1999. The imposing keeper wowed crowds with his acrobatic saves and intimidating presence in the penalty box. His final minute in a United shirt was spent winning the treble in Barcelona, finally ending the club’s 31-year drought for the European Cup. 2) Edwin van der Sar 36% of fans felt that Edwin van der Sar deserved the title of the club’s greatest ever keeper. The Dutchman spent just six seasons at the club, but it felt like more. The former Ajax keeper was a very different type of goalkeeper to Schmeichel, but equally as effective. He brought a calming presence to the defence and was ultra-reliable between the posts. Nonetheless, Van der Sar was still capable of the sublime and pulled off some jaw-dropping saves during his time at Old Trafford. He once went 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal for United, highlighting how outstanding he was. 3) David de Gea 11% of fans felt that the Spaniard was the greatest keeper in the club’s illustrious history. De Gea did win a Premier League title in 2013 but lacked the trophy collection of both Schmeichel and Van der Sar. He did win one European trophy, though: the Europa League in 2017. The former Atletico Madrid keeper was famous for his lightning-quick reflexes and ability to pull off the impossible. His iconic display against Arsenal in 2017, when he made 14 saves in the match, sums him up at his best. 4) Harry Gregg Just 1% of supporters felt that the Northern Irishman deserved the honour of being named United’s greatest. Gregg was a survivor of the Munich Air Disaster and heroically saved the lives of a few passengers after the crash. He made 247 appearances for the Red Devils and played a crucial role in Northern Ireland’s run to the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup. He also won the best keeper of the tournament award. A small number of fans voted for someone else, perhaps thinking of 1968 European Cup-winning keeper Alex Stepney. Legendary United keepers NameAppearancesGoalsYears Active David de Gea54502011-2023 Peter Schmeichel39811991-1999 Edwin van der Sar26602005-2011 Harry Gregg24701957-1967 – The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.