We catch up with the starting eleven that beat Swansea City in David Moyes’ first Premier League game in charge of Manchester United.
David Moyes’ spell as Manchester United manager may have been a disaster but it began with an emphatic win 4-1 over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium. Moyes has since had difficult stints in charge of Spanish side Real Sociedad – and now – relegation-threatened Sunderland.
So let’s catch up with Moyes first starting eleven in charge of United:
Patrice Evra and Robin van Persie are both playing their football abroad.
Evra left Old Trafford at the end of the 2013/4 campaign to sign for Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus side. The left-back won two Serie A titles with the Old Lady before joining Ligue 1 club Marseille in January.
Van Persie scored the opening goal of Moyes’ United reign to help his side to victory at the Liberty Stadium. The Dutch forward spent another season with the Red Devils before departing for Fenerbahçe in the summer of 2015. He has six league goals for the Turkish side this season, and is currently managed by ex-Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat.
Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley are still attached to Premier League clubs.
Welbeck moved to Arsenal at the end of the 2013/4 season after growing frustrated with his positon in the United team. The 26-year-old has notched up over 50 appearances and 16 goals during his time at the Emirates Stadium. Interestingly, Jose Mourinho recently claimed in an interview with Gary Lineker for the BBC Premier League Show that he never would let Welbeck leave the club.
Cleverley’s 15-year association with United came to an end in 2015 when he moved to Everton. The midfielder is currently on-loan with Watford, whom he enjoyed a successful loan spell with back in the 2009/10 season.
Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs have all since hung up their playing boots.
Vidic spent one-and-a-half years with Internazionale before calling time on his career in January of 2016. The Serbian is now an ambassador for United alongside the likes of Dwight Yorke, Bryan Robson and Andy Cole.
Vidic’s former defensive partner Ferdinand ended his equally incredible career shortly after leaving Queens Park Rangers in 2015. He is now working as a pundit for BT Sport.
Meanwhile, Giggs took charge of the final few games of the Red Devil’s season following Moyes’ sacking in April. The United legend served as assistant manager under Louis van Gaal before departing when Mourinho arrived in the summer.
David De Gea is among four of the starting eleven that remain part of the United squad. The goalkeeper is joined by Michael Carrick, Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia as the surviving members from Moyes’ first game in charge.
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