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7 former Man Utd players you had no idea are still playing outside of Europe

Ben Stewart •

While most former Manchester United players are currently playing elsewhere in Europe, a number of former Red Devils have ventured away from the continent.

There are countless examples of former United players who are now playing across the globe after leaving Old Trafford behind.

Ignoring some of the obvious names like Cristiano Ronaldo, here are seven former United players you probably had no idea are still playing outside of Europe.

Jesse Lingard

After spending six months on the free agents market, Lingard finally returned to football this month by penning a two-year deal with South Korean side FC Seoul.

The former United midfielder will reportedly earn just £17,500 per week at his new club according to Mail Sport. That’s a snip compared to the weekly wage he was taking home at United.

Shinji Kagawa

A fellow former United star currently playing in Asia is Kagawa. He made his return to Japan last year and returned to Cerezo Osaka, where he first began his career.

Even at 34 years of age, he still knows how to hit them.

Odion Ighalo

A number of former United players are now active in the Saudi Pro League from Ronaldo to Alex Telles. Perhaps one of the lesser-known names still knocking around is Ighalo.

The Nigerian forward spent a short spell on loan at Old Trafford and moved to Saudi Arabia shortly after leaving United in 2021.

He now plays for midtable outfit Al-Wehda, having previously had stints with Al-Shabab and Al-Hilal. He’s been pretty effective this season too, with 10 goals scored across all competitions.

Sergio Romero

After leaving United in 2021, Romero enjoyed a short spell with Venezia before he returned to Argentina. The 36-year-old is still going strong today as the Boca Juniors number one.

Given he spent a large portion of his career in Europe as a backup goalkeeper, it’s nice to see that Romero is playing more than ever in his later years.

Rafael

The Brazilian full-back racked up 170 appearances for the Red Devils between 2008 and 2015. In that time, he managed to win eight trophies, including three league titles.

During his post-United career, Rafael enjoyed stints in France and Turkey before making his return to Brazil in 2021. These days you can catch him playing for Botafogo in the Brazilian Serie A.

Gabriel Obertan

Obertan’s United career was fairly short-lived. He lasted just two years at the club before he was shipped out and sent to Newcastle United.

After bouncing around various European leagues for a number of years, Obertan has since settled in the United States. Since 2021, the French winger has played for Charlotte Independence who compete in the third-tier of American football.

To be fair to the 34-year-old, he does look like a class above the level.

Edinson Cavani

Boca Juniors seems to be the hub for former United players to assemble. Along with Cavani and Romero, Marcos Rojo also plays for the Argentine giants.

In the case of Cavani, he made the move to South America last summer on a free transfer. Across 18 appearances for his new club so far, the 36-year-old has managed to score three goals.

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