Rio Ferdinand
Birthplace: London 07/11/78 - Position: Defender - Appearances : 198 - Goals: 4 - International caps: 36 - Goals: 1

Rio burst onto the Premiership scene with West Ham United under the guidance of Harry Redknapp before being snapped up by Leeds United for £18million. The 2002 World Cup provided Rio with the stage to make the transformation from budding talent to accomplished defender, and his performances in Japan convinced Sir Alex Ferguson that he was the man to strengthen United's shaky defence. After a summer of speculation, Ferguson finally got his man for a massive £30million, which remains a world-record fee for a defender.
Rio's first season at Old Trafford was a mixed bag, with injury and loss of form affecting his performances on the pitch. He found his feet towards the end of the campaign, however, as United came back from the dead to overtake Arsenal and win the fifteenth League title in their history. In September 2003, just as Rio was filling the role of defensive leader that Sir Alex had earmarked him for, disaster struck. The defender missed a routine drugs test and, despite appealing, was banned from football for 8 months in January 2004. Rio limped out of his final pre-ban appearance for United against Wolves with the Reds ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premiership. Without their defensive lynchpin Sir Alex's men wilted under pressure and ended up finishing the season third. Since returning from his suspension, Rio has shown how critical he is to the United defence as under his leadership they shipped only 26 goals in 38 league games in the 2004/05 season. Ferdinand has been tipped as Roy Keane's eventual successor as captain at United, and with his calm influence and superb organisational skills it's not hard to see why.

Garry Neville
Birthplace: Bury, England 18/02/75 - Position: Defender - Appearances : 533 - Goals: 7 - International caps: 79

Gary Neville, as the song goes, is a red. He hates Scousers, he goes into every game refusing to contemplate defeat and the fans love him for it. There's nothing like a home grown player playing for the team he loves, but when the dust settles on Gary's career he won't just be the tough-tackling local lad - he'll be one of the most decorated players in modern times. With six Premiership titles, three FA Cups, a Champions League and a World Club Cup title under his belt (not to mention a roomful of international caps), Neville will go down in history as one of England's most successful defenders. After playing for both Bury and Greater Manchester Schoolboys, Gary joined Manchester United on schoolboy forms in July 1991 and signed as a professional 18 months later in January 1993.He was a part of the successful Youth team of 1992 and 1993 which produced several players for the senior squad. He made his first senior appearance for the Reds in the UEFA Cup in September 1992 against Torpedo Moscow. It was in the 1994/95 season when Neville became a regular in United's first team, replacing the injured Paul Parker at full-back. The same term, he appeared in the 1995 FA Cup Final only to end up on the losing team - a double disappointment considering United missed out on winning the League Championship on the last day of the season by a single point. However, the following season Neville collected a League winners' medal and came on as substitute in the 1996 FA Cup Final victory over Liverpool. His joy was complete when he was picked for England's Euro '96 squad, where he played in every game apart from the semi-final from which he was suspended. Neville has been an integral part of the England team ever since, but was forced to miss the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan after breaking a metatarsal bone in his foot - an identical injury to that suffered by close friend David Beckham weeks earlier. Beckham’s departure in the summer of 2003 meant Gary had to strike up a new partnership on the right side of midfield, this time with the more inexperienced Cristiano Ronaldo. The transition was seamless, though, and Neville continued to strike an impeccable balance between his defensive duties and bombing forward to help out the attackers. Neville’s right-wing deliveries remain one of United’s most potent outlets, and he has also chipped in with seven goals in his Reds career – just one behind brother Phil who remains ahead in the bragging rights. Since breaking into the United first team Gary has been as permanent a fixture at Manchester United as the Stretford End, and with a long-term deal penned to take him through to 2007, nobody’s going to be dislodging United’s Mr Reliable just yet.
 

Patrice Evra
Birthplace:  Dakar, Senegal 15/05/81 - Position: Defender - Appearances : 38 - Goals: 1 - International caps (France): 5  - Goals:

French international Patrice Evra has completed his move from Monaco to United.
The 24-year-old left-back has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal which will run until June 2009, and he will be available for immediate selection. Evra will wear the number three shirt vacated by Phil Neville last summer. Sir Alex Ferguson said: "He is a good age and is still developing as a player, which is always exciting. We have been monitoring him all season and it is fantastic that he is joining Manchester United". Patrice revealed that he had snubbed overtures from other European clubs in favour of moving to Old Trafford. Although only 24 when he joined the Red Devils, Evra had already been capped five times for France and was club captain at Monaco, where he had established himself as a committed, attack-minded player. Like many of Sir Alex's signings, Evra is young, versatile and ambitious. Comfortable at both left-sided midfield and left full-back, the Frenchman is known for his veracity and pace. Having started his career at lowly French outfit Monza, Evra was quickly snapped up by Nice in January 2000, aged just 18. Two successful seasons later, the Senegalese-born defender unsurprisingly found himself a target of both Paris St Germain and Monaco, for whom he eventually signed. Upon signing for United, Evra revealed that he had snubbed both Arsenal and Liverpool for the chance to walk out at the Theatre of Dreams. Patrice became the first choice at the start of the 06/07 season due to Heinze being in need of regaining his fitness. Patrice has now become one of our best defenders and his speed up the wing has given the team an extra dimension.
 

France international Mikael Silvestre began his career with French First Division club Rennes in the 1995/96 season. He made just one appearance that term.
The next year, he made 16 appearances, taking his tally up to 31 in the 1997/98 season.
Inter Milan spotted his potential, and signed him in time for the 1998/99 Serie A season. He made 18 League appearances, scoring one goal into the bargain. He also played six times in the European Cup, including the quarter-final second-leg, against Manchester United. Silvestre, a centre-back who can also play at full-back, signed for Manchester United on 10 September 1999.Mikael took his time to settle into English football, but showed flashes of the pace and skill that had persuaded Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him. He became United’s first choice as partner to Jaap Stam in the centre of defence both in the League and in Europe. In the 2000/01 season, Mikael switched to left-back on a full-time basis, and became a fixture in the side. Playing every game improved his consistency, and his good form earned him a call-up to the senior French team. He made his full international debut on 27 February 2001, coming on as a 77th minute substitute for Marcel Desailly in a Stade de France friendly against Germany, a match the Euro 2000 Champions won 1-0. "I was really proud to be involved, even if it was only for a couple of days. I am determined to learn fast because we have quite a few friendlies coming up," said Mik after the match. He held onto his place in the squad for friendly matches against Japan and Spain in March, the squad being named just five days before Mikael's wife Sev gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Evy. Mik again came on as a substitute in the Japan match, but finally made his full debut on 28 March in a 2-1 defeat. He kept his place in the starting line up for April's match against Portugal, and opened his scoring account for the World Cup holders in a 4-0 triumph. Then just days later, Mikael lifted the Premiership trophy for the second time in his career, having made 46 appearances and scoring one goal, a great effort against Leicester City in mid-March. The joyful season didn't end there for Silvestre. In June 2001, he was a member of the France squad which won the Confederations Cup in Japan and Korea. Although he didn't play in the final, Mikael made a couple of appearances at centre-half in the group stages. He was also selected for Roger Lemerre's World Cup 2002 squad, but did not make an appearance in France's disappointing attempt to defend the trophy won four years earlier. Silvestre continued to improve as a player throughout the 2002/03 season, and became one of United's most consistent performers on their way to their eighth Premiership title. The Frenchman was almost ever-present - playing more minutes than any other Red - during the campaign in which United confounded the critics to beat Arsenal to the Championship. Mikael also proved - thanks to a partnership with Wes Brown - that he is equally capable of playing in the centre of defence as he is at centre-back. Mikael formed a rock-solid partnership with Rio Ferdinand at the heart of United's defence until January 2004, when the former Leeds man was banned for missing a drugs test. Robbed of the stability provided by the duo, United surrendered their title to Arsenal. Silvestre represented France in each of their Euro 2004 games, including their shock second-round defeat to eventual winners Greece. The return of Rio in September 2004 allowed their partnership to stabilise United's defence, as frailties have increasingly been ironed out. In an out-of-character episode, Mikael received the first red card of his career in United's February 2005 win at Arsenal, when he was given his marching orders for headbutting Freddie Ljungberg.
 

The Longsight Libero has found himself beset by injuries (including two cases of damaged cruciate ligaments and a broken ankle) but has still evolved into a solid, reliable defender. A former student at the FA School of Excellence at Lilleshall, Brown also played for Manchester and Greater Manchester as a schoolboy. He signed as a trainee on leaving school in July 1996 and signed as a professional just four months later on 4 November 1996. In his first full season at Old Trafford, Brown picked up a Lancashire FA Youth Cup winners' medal and a Lancashire League Division One medal together with the Denzil Haroun Young Player of the Year award. His performances for the reserves and juniors throughout the season earned him a place on the first team bench against Leeds United on 4 May 1998. Brought on in the 60th minute to replace David May, he appeared in the starting line-up for the first time the following week as United defeated Barnsley 2-0.His performances in the 1998/99 season again caught the eye. An accomplished central defender, Brown actually gained a regular first team place by deputising for the injured Denis Irwin at full-back. Quick and able to surge forward down the wing, Brown has had football critics revelling in his potential, likening him to a young Paul McGrath. An established international at Under-18 and Under-21 level, Brown made the step up to the senior squad during the 1998/99 season, and received his first cap under Kevin Keegan, playing against Hungary in Budapest. Wes' international career has been sporadic, with only nine caps to show from a six-year spell as a squad regular. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that Wes' misfortune with injuries had been tragic, claiming in 2002 that his career had been a 'disaster' since 1999 because of the setbacks.
The knee ligament injuries ahead of the 1999/00 season and at the end of the 2002/03 season book ended a broken ankle in August 2002, but Wes did manage to stay injury free from September 2004 to the end of the 2004/05 season.
Brown secured his status as a United player until at least June 2008 by signing a new three-year contract in November 2004.
 

John O'Shea
Birthplace: Waterford, Ireland 30/04/81 - Position: Defender - Appearances : 228 - Goals: 9 - International caps: 26 - Goals: 1

John signed professional terms with United in August 1998 and made his first team debut just over a year later, away to Aston Villa in a Worthington Cup defeat.
After making twenty appearances and scoring two goals for the Reserves over the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons, John joined Second Division Bournemouth on loan in January 2000, where he earned rave reviews. O'Shea returned to Old Trafford in March 2000, determined to break into the first team. Despite two more appearances in the Worthington Cup, away at Watford and Sunderland, it didn't quite happen for the big man, so instead he embarked on another loan spell in season 2000/01.This time he followed in the footsteps of Luke Chadwick, Danny Higginbotham and Ronnie Wallwork by joining Royal Antwerp. Although he was first choice central defender for United's partner club in Belgium, he still found time to play international football for the Republic at Under-21 level. John stepped up to earn his first senior cap on 15 August 2001, when he came on as an 84th minute substitute at home to Croatia. Unfortunately, the debut ended in disappointment when John gave away a penalty in injury time, enabling the visitors to make the score 2-2.Sheasy really made his mark on the United first team in the 2002/03 season, proving his versatility by playing at left-back, right-back, centre-back and central midfield during the Reds' successful Premiership campaign. His forays down the flanks - always accompanied by nut-megs on opponents, including Real Madrid's Luis Figo - saw the birth of a new fans' chant - "When Johnny goes running down the wing, O'Shea, O'Shea."
John ended up with 32 Premiership appearances in 2002/03, at the end of which he picked up the first medal of his senior Reds career. The versatility which had glossed John's superb debut season served only to hamper his first-team claims in a difficult 2003/04 campaign for the big Irishman. Without a specialist position to stake a claim for, O'Shea filled in gaps wherever he could, only to find himself sidelined as soon as injuries in others healed up. While he is yet to pin down a position to call his own in the first team, John has found the net five times since August 2003, including a stunning chip in the 4-2 win at Highbury in February 2005.