Although they could not fairly be the all-conquering pressure they as soon as have been, there may be nonetheless a way of honor that comes with being a Manchester United participant, coupled with an intense stress to fulfill the excessive requirements demanded by followers.
Whereas sure gamers flourish in these situations, many have wilted underneath the stresses, fallen out of favor or just been unable to muscle into the beginning XI solely to seek out themselves occupying the sub’s bench week in, week out.
Nonetheless, whereas some have seen their careers come to an abrupt standstill at United, there’s a famous phenomenon in soccer circles often called the “post-United bounce,” the place various gamers have efficiently escaped their Outdated Trafford purgatory and nearly instantly rediscovered their kind elsewhere.
Whereas the grass is not at all times essentially greener, this season alone we have seen the likes of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Højlund and André Onana be a part of the ranks of gamers who’ve departed the Premier League giants at a low ebb earlier than having fun with an prompt upturn in fortunes after a recent begin.
These three aren’t the one huge names to profit from the post-United bounce both, with an ever-lengthening checklist of gamers experiencing an analogous turnaround within the comparatively fallow seasons which have elapsed since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as supervisor.
– Each time Man United’s Ruben Amorim has talked about his job
– Man United fan grows hair for a yr because of Amorim’s workforce’s outcomes
– Dawson: Sunderland win eases Amorim stress, however for a way lengthy?
2025-26
Marcus Rashford
Patchy kind and a dip in morale noticed Rashford made accessible for mortgage by his boyhood membership at first of the yr, with Aston Villa first taking the plunge for the second half of final time period earlier than Barcelona weighed in by taking the England ahead on a seasonlong deal in the summertime.
The 27-year-old already appears like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders and the swagger is visibly returning. He has made an honest begin to life in Catalonia, with three targets and 4 assists in his first 10 video games for Barça, together with a formidable two-goal salvo towards Newcastle United within the Champions League which earned him a standing ovation from the house trustworthy.
1:03
Amorim: The stress of taking part in for Man Utd was tough for Onana
Ruben Amorim talks in regards to the stress of taking part in for Manchester United following affirmation of Andre Onana’s mortgage transfer to Trabzonspor.
André Onana
A determine of derision underneath Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, goalkeeper Onana was chargeable for a string of dealing with and positioning errors in huge video games that ultimately noticed him lose his first-choice designation earlier than in the end being allowed to go away the membership.
The Cameroon worldwide signed for Trabzonspor on mortgage for the 2025-26 marketing campaign and kicked issues off by being named the person of the match on debut for the Turkish membership regardless of them falling to a 1-0 loss. He then upped the ante by registering an help in his second outing by laying on the equaliser in a 1-1 draw towards Gaziantep FK.
Rasmus Højlund
A dearth of targets final season noticed Højlund not noted of the United squad altogether at first of the 2025-26 marketing campaign till Napoli got here to his rescue in September with the provide of a return to Italy.
After mustering 4 Premier League targets final season, the 22-year-old Denmark striker took simply 14 minutes to attain his first for the Partenopei and has now produced 4 targets in his first six video games for the membership, together with a brace in a 2-1 Champions League victory over Sporting CP and the winner towards Genoa simply earlier than the October worldwide break.
2024-25
Scott McTominay
McTominay sealed a shock transfer to Napoli in the summertime of 2024 after discovering his recreation time restricted underneath Ten Hag the earlier season.
The Scotland midfielder then proceeded to win the Serie A title and be topped the league MVP in his debut season in Italy whereas changing into a cult hero amongst Napoli followers by advantage of his tireless work charge, intense bodily play, and naturally his knack of scoring necessary targets in clutch conditions.
2:11
Why Antony felt disrespected at Manchester United
Actual Betis winger Antony displays on the top of his powerful time at Manchester United.
Antony
Signed by Ten Hag from former membership Ajax in an £82 million deal that made him United’s third-most costly participant of all time, Antony sadly misfired in England and shortly grew to become a goal for derision after routinely failing to make any impression in video games whereas desperately working by way of his repertoire of superfluous abilities.
After two largely unproductive seasons at Outdated Trafford, the Brazil winger joined Actual Betis on mortgage for the latter half of the 2024-25 season and was instantly reborn, with 9 targets in 26 video games and a nomination for the LaLiga participant of the month award after just some weeks in Spain, and he has now moved to Seville on a everlasting foundation.
2023-24
Dean Henderson
A product of the United academy, Henderson was on the books at his boyhood membership between 2015 and 2023 however managed simply 13 video games in all competitions. Following a succession of loans up and down the Soccer League, the goalkeeper signed for Crystal Palace on a everlasting deal in August 2023 earlier than occurring to win the FA Cup and make his England senior debut throughout his second season at Selhurst Park.
David De Gea
The second goalkeeper to go away United in 2023-24, former stalwart De Gea noticed his 12-year stint come to an underwhelming finish when his contract was allowed to run out and he was launched with out a lot in the best way of fanfare. The previous Spain No. 1 then remained a free agent for all the marketing campaign earlier than ending his prolonged sabbatical by becoming a member of Fiorentina in August 2024. With penalties saved and clear sheets saved, the 34-year-old then performed an necessary function in serving to La Viola qualify for Europe (through the Convention League) in his maiden season.
2019-20 and 2020-21
The Inter Milan Exodus
Because of a tough regime change at United, a sizeable variety of high-earning and/or underperforming gamers have been cleared out to make room for recent blood within the squad.
This appreciable exodus noticed various gamers be a part of Inter Milan simply in time to gas the Nerazzurri’s cost to the 2020-21 Serie A title with a great variety of stated gamers nonetheless in situ after they gained the Italian prime flight once more in 2023-24.
Certainly, Romelu Lukaku (2020-21), Ashley Younger (2020-21), Alexis Sánchez (2020-21, 2023-24), Matteo Darmian (2021-22, 2023-24) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (2023-24) all claimed main honors with Inter after leaving Outdated Trafford, and likewise performed in Champions League and Europa League finals for the membership too.
After having his capacity to guide the road for United repeatedly introduced into query, Lukaku was voted Serie A MVP in 2020-21 and completed second behind Cristiano Ronaldo within the scoring charts. Lukaku then gained his second Italian league title at Napoli final season.
Chris Smalling
Smalling additionally left United for Italy round that point, initially on mortgage to Roma for the 2019-20 season earlier than the deal was made everlasting the next summer season.
The middle again was an prompt success on the Giallorossi and even emerged as a European champion after they gained the Convention League in 2021-22 underneath José Mourinho’s steering. Smalling was voted man of the match in that last towards Feyenoord and was included within the UEFA workforce of the match — a feat he then repeated the next yr when Roma completed runners-up within the Europa League.
2018-19
Daley Blind
A reasonably dependable and versatile defensive possibility for United, Blind loved success throughout his 4 years at Outdated Trafford by profitable an FA Cup in 2015-16 after which the Carabao Cup and Europa League in 2016-17.
Nonetheless, regardless of being seen as one thing of a fading pressure on his United exit, the Netherlands worldwide kicked on by returning to boyhood membership Ajax to say three extra Eredivisie titles and two KNVB Cups earlier than spending a single season with Bayern Munich and lifting the Bundesliga protect in 2022-23. The 35-year-old veteran continues to be going too, and is at present in his third season with Spanish aspect Girona.
2016-17
Memphis Depay
It is truthful to say that Depay failed to totally ignite at United underneath Louis van Gaal, with an underwhelming 18-month spell at Outdated Trafford coming to an finish in January 2017 when he signed for Lyon in a everlasting deal.
Nonetheless solely 22 on the time, the Dutch ahead’s profession quickly started to collect momentum and he technically gained LaLiga with Barcelona in 2022-23 (although left the membership midway by way of the season after making simply 4 appearances) to hitch Atlético Madrid. Nonetheless, Depay has been a bona fide league winner in current months, taking the Brazilian Serie A title with Corinthians in 2025.
2015-16
Ángel Di María
With stints at Benfica and Actual Madrid already underneath his belt, Di María was acknowledged as some of the skillful playmaking wingers on the planet when he signed for United in August 2014 in an enormous deal value nearly £60 million — the very best switch payment ever paid by a British membership on the time.
Sadly regardless of early promise, a failure to settle in England, premature accidents and a dramatic oscillation in kind noticed Di María recurrently squeezed out of the primary workforce underneath Van Gaal and all of it got here to an finish after 12 months when Paris Saint-Germain provided to rectify the state of affairs in the summertime of 2025. The nimble Argentina star duly went on to win a home quadruple in his debut season earlier than including an extra 15 main honors to his assortment through the seven years he spent in Paris — additionally profitable the FIFA World Cup and two Copa Américas with Argentina.
On the grand previous age of 37, Di María continues to be taking part in in Argentina together with his boyhood membership, Rosario Central.
2014-15
Wilfried Zaha
One thing of a poster boy for the false begin of the post-Alex Ferguson period at United, Crystal Palace star Zaha was really signed by Fergie in January 2013 however had his transfer delayed till the next summer season, by which period the legendary Scot had retired and been changed on the helm by protégé David Moyes.
Zaha made simply two appearances underneath Moyes, who despatched the younger winger out on mortgage to Cardiff Metropolis for the second half of the 2013-14 marketing campaign. With out making a single league begin for United, the 22-year-old then returned to Palace in 2014-15, initially on a season-long mortgage and shortly discovered his ridiculously fast toes once more, instantly re-establishing his “fan favorite” standing at Selhurst Park whereas subsequently hitting one of the best type of his profession within the Premier League, carrying the Eagles for a number of seasons and profitable the membership participant of the yr award in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18.
