Playing in Italy & Japan, working for Man Utd & into management: Where Man Utd's last Premier League title-winning side are now

Twelve years on from the last time Manchester United won the Premier League title in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season with the club, less and less of that generation of players remain playing as the class of 2013 head out on their own pathways in their career and life.

Never could it have been imagined at the time that the most successful English club in the modern era could go on such a barren streak. But as things are now, with the Red Devils having finished 15th last season, their next league title crown is looking further away than ever. A series of big-money flops have not helped the cause along the way.

But where are their title-winning side of 2012/13 now? We had a look at where Sir Alex’s most-used players from his final season as manager have ended up since, with a few surprising names to throw in the mix who many many have forgotten even played for the club.

Where Man United’s 2012/13 title winning defence are now

David de Gea - Fiorentina: One of the few members of Sir Alex’s final squad who are still playing, De Gea remained at Old Trafford for over a decade in total before departing in 2023. He now plays for Fiorentina in Serie A after spending an entire year as a free agent, returning to Old Trafford to play in a pre-season friendly over the summer.

Rafael - retired: One half of the iconic Brazilian twins Fabio and Rafael, it was the latter who often started at right-back in Ferguson’s final season. He actually made his most appearances for United that season, finding game time less common in the following seasons. He departed in 2015, spending time at Lyon, Istanbul and Botafogo before retiring in 2024.

Rio Ferdinand - retired; pundit: Having made 28 Premier League appearances in 2012/13, legendary defender Ferdinand saw that number cut in half the following campaign. He had an infamous stint at QPR in 2014/15 where he featured just 12 times, before hanging up his boots in 2015. He has since become a prominent face within punditry and runs his own podcast.

Jonny Evans - retired; Man United staff: Evans made one more league appearance than Nemanja Vidic in 2012/13. Initially departing Old Trafford in 2015, Evans had a spell with West Brom before enjoying a successful period with European-challenging Leicester City. Surprisingly, he returned to Man United in 2023 where he played two final years before retirement in 2025. He now works for the club in their youth set-up as head of loans and pathways.

Patrice Evra - retired; pundit: Evra departed after nine years with United, having spells with Juventus, Marseille and West Ham. He retired in 2019 and has since worked as a pundit on Sky Sports and has even stepped into MMA. He has also been in legal trouble and was convicted in 2024 of abandoning his wife and children.

Honourable mentions: Nemanja Vidic (retired 2016); Michael Keane (Everton, has had strong PL career with Toffees and Burnley); Chris Smalling (Al-Fayha in Saudi Arabia after a career renaissance in five years at Roma); Phil Jones (stayed at Man United until 2023 before retirement).

Where Sir Alex’s final Man United attack are 12 years on

Michael Carrick - retired; manager: Carrick stayed at United until retirement in 2018 and was handed a role on Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff. Following multiple brief stints as caretaker manager, Carrick earnt the top job at Middlesbrough in 2022. He led his side to the play-offs in 2023 and enjoyed a positive first role in management before he was sacked in June 2025.

Tom Cleverley - retired; manager: While he carried on playing longer than Carrick, Cleverley also went directly into coaching after his retirement in 2023. He became Watford head coach in 2024 and was sacked a year later before becoming Plymouth Argyle boss in League One, where he is currently.

Shinji Kagawa - Cerezo Osaka: The 36-year-old is still playing, having returned to his native Japan and the J-League in 2023. Kagawa returned to former club Borussia Dortmund in 2014 after two years with United and spent the majority of the best years of his career in the Bundesliga.

Wayne Rooney - retired; manager/pundit: United’s record goalscorer departed Old Trafford with a heavy heart in 2017, returning to boyhood club Everton before spells at DC United and Derby County. Serving as player-manager at the latter, since retirement he has had difficult roles managing the Rams, DC United, Birmingham City and Plymouth. The 39-year-old is currently leaning into punditry with the likes of BBC Sport and Sky Sports and it remains to be seen when he will return to management.

Antonio Valencia - retired: Valencia enjoyed a relatively successful career at Old Trafford even after Sir Alex departed, playing 339 times in 10 years with the club before leaving in in 2019. He returned to play in his native Ecuador before retiring at Mexican side Queretaro in 2021.

Robin van Persie - retired; manager: The crown jewel of United’s 2012/13 title-winning side, Van Persie scored 26 Premier League goals in what was his first season at Old Trafford to earn his second consecutive golden boot. He scored 58 goals in three years at United in all, playing for Fenerbahce and Feyenoord before retiring in 2019. He joined the coaching staff at the Dutch club in 2020, earning the top job at Herenveen in 2024 before returning to Feyenoord once again as head coach in February 2025, where he currently remains.

Honourable mentions:

• Ryan Giggs - the one-club man retired in 2014 and had a brief stint as caretaker manager at United, later serving as Wales manager for four years; he is also co-owner of Salford City.
• Anderson - left United in 2015 and retired five years later, now assistant manager at Adana Demirspor in Turkey.
• Ashley Young - still playing, Young is now with Ipswich Town in the Championship aged 40 after recent spells with Aston Villa and Everton.
• Darren Fletcher - retired in 2020 and is now United’s under-18s coach.
• Paul Scholes - retired at the end of the 2012/13 season and had a brief spell in coaching before becoming a prominent pundit; he is also co-owner of Salford City.
• Javier Hernandez - left United in 2015 and currently plays back at boyhood club Guadalajara.
• Danny Welbeck - Welbeck has gone on to have a great Premier League career with Arsenal, Watford and Brighton, still playing and scoring goals for the Seagulls at 34.
• Josh King - making one solitary Champions League appearance for United in 2012/13, King went on to score over 50 Premier League goals with Bournemouth and Watford and now plays for Al-Khaleej in the Saudi Pro League aged 33.