The Red Devils' Departed: A Look at the Success of Former Manchester United Players

Explore the fortunes of Manchester United's departed players, including McTominay, Antony, and Greenwood, as they thrive in new environments and leagues.

Manchester United is undoubtedly navigating one of the darkest periods in their illustrious history, particularly in the Premier League era. The club's struggles have been well-documented, and the latest manager tasked with restoring the team's former glory is Ruben Amorim.

Amorim faces a daunting challenge, as he follows in the footsteps of a string of managers who have attempted to revive Manchester United's fortunes, only to ultimately leave the club. The likes of David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ralf Rangnick, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Erik ten Hag have all tried and failed to replicate the success of Sir Alex Ferguson's era, leaving Amorim with a significant task ahead of him.

The managerial merry-go-round at Manchester United has yielded little success, with none of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era managers able to replicate the legendary Scot's achievements. This begs the question: has the club's recent decision-making hindered their progress?

A closer look at the performances of former Manchester United players Scott McTominay, Antony, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Mason Greenwood may provide some insight. While it appears that some of these players are thriving away from Old Trafford, a deeper dive into the numbers is necessary to determine if this perception is accurate.

McTominay Thriving in Serie A

Scott McTominay has seamlessly adapted to life in Serie A, playing a crucial role in helping his new team, Partnopei, secure second place in the league, just three points behind Inter. Despite navigating a new league, surroundings, and language, McTominay has made a significant impact, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 28 games this season. His performance is comparable to his final season at Manchester United, where he scored 10 goals and registered three assists in 43 games.

McTominay's shooting accuracy of 53.9% is only slightly lower than the 57.6% he achieved in the 2023/24 season for United. However, it's the creative freedom afforded to him by Antonio Conte that has truly allowed him to flourish in his new midfield role.

Scott McTominay's passing statistics in Serie A have already surpassed his totals from his final Premier League campaign with Manchester United. To date, he has completed 585 successful passes out of 689 attempts, eclipsing the 524 successful passes from 643 attempts he made in the previous season.

With eight games remaining in the Italian top-flight, McTominay is in contention to win silverware with his new team. Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford's departure from Manchester United has proven to be a blessing in disguise for Aston Villa. After being ousted from the United first team by Ruben Amorim, Rashford has rediscovered his form at Villa Park.

Although it took him some time to settle, Rashford has produced an impressive return of three goals and four assists in 11 matches for Aston Villa. This surpasses his tally of seven goals and three assists in 24 games for Manchester United in the 2024/25 season. Similar to McTominay, Rashford appears to be thriving without the weight of expectation that came with playing for Manchester United.

Rashford's Revival at Aston Villa

Unai Emery's decision to bring Marcus Rashford to Aston Villa has proven to be a shrewd move, as the winger has begun to flourish under the Spanish manager's guidance. As the season enters its critical phase, Rashford's impressive statistics are a testament to his resurgence.

Rashford's shooting accuracy has been particularly noteworthy, with an 87.5% success rate, the second-highest he has recorded in the last three seasons across all competitions. Moreover, he has managed 12 shots on target for Villa, a mere three fewer than his total during his time at Manchester United between August 2024 and February 2025.

Rashford's pass accuracy has also been impressive, reaching as high as 92% at Villa Park. This is only marginally lower than his 93.3% pass accuracy in the Community Shield earlier this season, which was his highest such statistic in recent seasons.

In addition to his attacking prowess, Rashford has also demonstrated an improved work rate, successfully winning the ball back from tackles 66.7% of the time at Villa. This matches his statistic from the 2022/23 season with Manchester United and represents the second-highest such figure since the 2021/22 season.

Fellow wingers Jadon Sancho and Antony have also been allowed to leave Manchester United on loan, following in Rashford's footsteps as they seek to revive their careers elsewhere.

Antony's move to Real Betis 

Antony's move to Real Betis has sparked a resurgence in his form, with the Brazilian winger contributing two goals and two assists in just eight games for the Verdiblancos. This is a marked improvement from his time at Manchester United, where he managed only one goal and one assist in 29 appearances before making the switch to Spain.

Similarly, Jadon Sancho has also found new life on loan at Bayern Munich. Although his statistics may not be as impressive as Antony's, Sancho's time in Germany has allowed him to regain his confidence and form.

Antony's pace and agility have been on full display at Real Betis, with four fast breaks in eight games representing his best return in the past two seasons. Furthermore, he has contested an impressive 88 duels for the Spanish top-flight outfit this season, a significant increase from the 28 duels he managed in the first half of the league campaign with Manchester United.

In addition to his attacking contributions, Antony has also demonstrated his work rate and defensive prowess at Real Betis. He has made 37 ball recoveries for the Verdiblancos, the third-best return in the past three seasons for the Brazilian winger.

However, a closer examination of Sancho's statistics reveals a more positive picture. His current tally is surpassed only by his 2022/23 Premier League campaign, where he scored six goals and provided three assists. Furthermore, his four fast breaks for Chelsea represent an improvement on his recent performances for Manchester United.

Sancho's shooting statistics also demonstrate a notable uptick. With 18 total shots at goal, he is only three shy of his best showing in recent campaigns. Additionally, his passing accuracy of 94.1% is the highest it has been in the past couple of years, excluding a perfect 100% passing accuracy in the Community Shield – a statistic somewhat skewed by the fact that he only attempted two passes in that game.

Sancho's Resurgence at Chelsea

From Jadon Sancho's perspective, his modest goal-scoring record as a winger is well-documented. Given this context, his two goals and four assists for Chelsea this season may not seem overly impressive at first glance.

However, a closer examination of Sancho's statistics reveals a more positive picture. His current tally is surpassed only by his 2022/23 Premier League campaign, where he scored six goals and provided three assists. Furthermore, his four fast breaks for Chelsea represent an improvement on his recent performances for Manchester United.

Sancho's shooting statistics also demonstrate a notable uptick. With 18 total shots at goal, he is only three shy of his best showing in recent campaigns. Additionally, his passing accuracy of 94.1% is the highest it has been in the past couple of years, excluding a perfect 100% passing accuracy in the Community Shield – a statistic somewhat skewed by the fact that he only attempted two passes in that game.

Greenwood's Ligue 1 Revival

Mason Greenwood's tumultuous departure from Manchester United has been well-documented. Following the public backlash surrounding his personal life, Greenwood's future at the club became untenable. Despite his undeniable potential to be a potent attacking threat for the Red Devils, the intense scrutiny proved too great, and he was forced to seek a fresh start elsewhere.

Greenwood's statistics from his final season at Manchester United in 2021/22 – six goals and two assists in all competitions – may not have been particularly remarkable. However, his recent performances in Ligue 1 suggest that he is channeling any frustration or anger into his game, with devastating effect on opposition defenses.

Mason Greenwood's impressive form has continued since his departure from Manchester United. During his time at Getafe, he scored 10 goals and provided six assists in a single season. Since joining Marseille, he has plundered 16 goals and contributed three assists in all competitions, showcasing his clinical finishing and creative abilities.

Greenwood's pace and agility have been on full display, with 15 lightning-fast breaks, more than double the number he managed for United three seasons ago. His ability to win fouls in the final third has also been a valuable asset, with 16 fouls won during his time at Getafe and 12 so far this season at Marseille, significantly surpassing the five he won in the 2021/22 Premier League season.

While Greenwood's success rate in one-on-one duels may be slightly lower than it was during his time at United, his overall involvement in duels has increased substantially. This season, he has contested 243 duels in Ligue 1, exceeding the 131 duels he attempted in the 2021/22 season by over 100.

Mason Greenwood's passing accuracy at Marseille has been impressive, with an 83.7% success rate from 1015 passes. This statistic is remarkably consistent with his passing accuracy during the 2021/22 campaign at Manchester United, where he achieved an 83.8% success rate from 464 passes.

A common thread among the players mentioned above, including Greenwood, is that none have regressed since leaving Manchester United. In fact, it can be argued that they have improved significantly in various aspects of their game. The question of whether these players will return to United in the summer remains uncertain. Nevertheless, the club's recruitment policy will undoubtedly face intense scrutiny, regardless of their final position in the league this season.