Manchester United's 10 Biggest Egos of All Time

Every team needs a few egos to be successful, and over the years Manchester United has had them in abundance.

In most cases, the players use their ego to help the side, but at other times those egos clash with the club and see the player booted out. 

Both scenarios have been seen at Old Trafford, and so here are the Red Devils' 10 biggest egos of all time.

Known for his self-belief, hairdryer treatment and his laying down of the law (as seen in the video), there is one ego at Manchester United to rule them all—Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Red Devils manager is the man in command at Old Trafford. He tells the players what to do, he picks the team, he makes the transfers, he's in charge of almost everything concerning the first-team.

As FC Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola might say, he's "the ****ing boss, the ****ing man."

The first superstar footballer, George Best was damn good and he knew it—often to great effect on the pitch, twisting opponents inside out and having them tremble with fear before a ball was even kicked.

A man of many words, this quote best sums up the United legend and his ego:

I was born with a great gift, and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town.

Well, I suppose that's the knighthood f***ed.

 

Paul Ince demanded he be called "The Guv'nor" by his teammates, and was labelled by Sir Alex Ferguson as a "big-time Charlie."

The former Inter Milan and Liverpool star definitely qualifies as one of Manchester United's biggest egos of all time, with Ince having a massive sense of self-importance, which still hasn't died down.

His quote most recently on Terry Connor—suggesting he should replace Connor as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager—sums up his ego:

With all due respect to TC (Connor), I've got more managerial experience than him. I've saved teams from relegation, I've got teams promoted and I've managed in the Premier League.

But the job at the moment is about motivating players and the fans and I feel I can do that. I feel I should be at the club now. 

Eric Cantona—or "King Eric" as he's known along the corridors of Carrington and Old Trafford—is another Manchester United legend with a defining ego.

But unlike Paul Ince, he's a man who has most certainly deserved his giant ego. Then again, with quotes like the one below, the Frenchman may have taken it a bit too far:

My best moment? I have a lot of good moments, but the one I prefer is when I kicked the hooligan.

David Beckham thought he was too big for Manchester United. 

The picture to the left shows what Sir Alex Ferguson thought about that.

Roy Keane—whilst being a Manchester United legend—was also a massive ego at the club.

He always spoke his mind, and thought himself to have enough authority to publicly criticise teammates, telling Rio Ferdinand in 2003, "Just because you are paid £120,000 a week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham Hotspur, you think you are a superstar."

He was also said to have criticised Sir Alex Ferguson over the standard of a preseason training camp in Portugal, and publicly said he would consider leaving United.

In the end his ego was too big for the club, and he left by mutual consent in 2005.

Gary Neville's ego can be summed up by this quote:

There have been times when I've reflected on my international career and just thought: 'Well that was a massive waste of time.'

Too important to play for his country—the definition of ego?

Scoring a goal then celebrating by standing in front of your manager, cupping your ears to make the point that the manager is wrong and you should be playing more often...

Carlos Tevez, you proved yourself as one of the biggest egotists in not only Manchester United but world football history.

Out of all things one could say about Cristiano Ronaldo and his ego at Manchester United, his comments in 2007 after being elbowed in the face by Mirko Vucinic during a UEFA Champions League game with AS Roma sum it perfectly.

It's not a problem. In four or five days, I will be beautiful once again.

Arrogance defined, Sir Alex Ferguson had no choice but to sell Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009.

Out of all the players to think they are bigger than Manchester United, Wayne Rooney is perhaps the ultimate one.

After all, the 26-year-old striker said publicly that his ambitions were greater than that of the club officially ranked as the most valuable team in sport.

Speaking amid a media storm in October 2010, Rooney told the press:

I met with David Gill [United chief executive] last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad.

I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract.

To have actually have the audacity to play out such a view in public, Wayne Rooney has to be credited as the biggest ego in Manchester United history.