Where are they now? The last Man Utd side to beat Liverpool at Anfield

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Planet Football
17th January 2021

On January 17, 2016, Manchester United beat Liverpool 1-0 in what remains the Red Devils’ last victory at Anfield.

Wayne Rooney scored the game’s only goal as United completed a league double over their rivals for a second consecutive season.

We’ve taken a look back at United’s side from that day to see how they’ve fared since.

GK: David de Gea

De Gea has been one of United’s standout performers in recent years, winning the club’s Player of the Year award a record four times.

Despite facing increased competition from Dean Henderson in 2020-21, he remains Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice goalkeeper.

The Spain international recently moved past Peter Schmeichel to become the overseas player with the most United appearances.

READ: Ranking Man Utd’s 23 Premier League goalkeepers from worst to best

RB: Ashley Young (Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, 42)

Young reinvented himself as a full-back during Van Gaal’s tenure, becoming a consistent and reliable performer in his new role.

The 35-year-old was appointed club captain in 2019 before completing a £1.5million move to Serie A side Inter Milan in January 2020.

One of 15 academy graduates under Van Gaal, Borthwick-Jackson was released by United in 2020 and joined League Two side Oldham Athletic on a free transfer.

CB: Chris Smalling

Smalling won the United Players’ Player of the Year award in 2015-16 but fell out of favour after the arrival of Harry Maguire in 2019.

Following a successful loan stint at Roma in 2019-20, the centre-back then joined the Serie A side on a permanent deal, bringing an end to his 10-year spell at United.

CB: Daley Blind

After playing under Van Gaal at international level for the Netherlands, Blind reunited with the manager at Old Trafford in 2014.

The versatile defender won the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League at United but slipped down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho.

Since returning to boyhood club Ajax in 2018, he’s won a league and cup double, played in a Champions League semi-final and even scored a hat-trick from centre-back.

READ: An ode to Daley Blind, the slender defender who defies modern logic

LB: Matteo Darmian

Darmian only ever had a bit-part role during his four years at Old Trafford and returned to his native Italy in 2019, joining Parma in a £1.4million deal.

The full-back is spending 2020-21 on loan at Inter Milan, linking up with former United team-mates Ashley Young, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

CM: Marouane Fellaini

Despite being a much-maligned figure at Old Trafford, Fellaini was a regular in the United team under Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

But he was immediately deemed surplus to requirements by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and joined Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng in January 2019.

The 33-year-old has scored 17 goals in his first 46 appearances in all competitions and helped them win the Chinese FA Cup in 2020.

READ: Nine of Marouane Fellaini’s most crucial goals for Manchester United

CM: Morgan Schneiderlin

Having impressed in the Premier League with Southampton, Schneiderlin joined United in 2015 but failed to recapture the form he had shown on the south coast.

He played just 11 league minutes under Jose Mourinho and went on to rejoin former manager Ronald Koeman in Everton in January 2017.

After a bright start, things didn’t go as planned there either and the midfielder returned to France with Nice in 2020.

CM: Ander Herrera (Memphis Depay, 72)

Herrera became a fan favourite at Old Trafford but called time on a five-year stay at the club when his contract expired in 2019.

After joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, the midfielder won a domestic treble and started in the Champions League final in his debut season.

Depay failed to live up to expectations during his 18 months at Old Trafford but has rediscovered his best form since joining Lyon in January 2017.

READ: Memphis Depay digs out Man Utd owners in new rap because he’s ace

RW: Jesse Lingard (Juan Mata, 66)

Lingard broke into the United first-team under Van Gaal and scored the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final, which turned out to be the manager’s last in charge of the club.

The 28-year-old is yet to make a Premier League appearance in 2020-21 and has been linked with loan moves to Nice, Sheffield United and Newcastle United.

Mata has provided some memorable moments for United – including his overhead kick winner against Liverpool in 2015 – but now finds himself on the fringes of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

ST: Wayne Rooney

A boyhood Everton fan, Rooney ended his 11-year Anfield goal-drought by netting a 77th-minute winner in this fixture.

After a half-decent return to Goodison Park, he spent a couple of seasons in MLS with DC United before joining Derby County as a player-coach.

The 35-year-old retired from football in January 2021 after being appointed as permanent manager of the Championship side.

“I’ve had a great career and enjoyed every minute,” Rooney said. “Of course, I will miss it but I’ve been very fortunate to play for some massive teams.

“Playing for Everton was a boyhood dream of mine and then to go and play for 13 years at United was the highlight. To stay at the biggest club in the world for so long and win so many trophies is something I’ll always appreciate.”

#MUFC take the lead at Anfield! Rooney with a great finish… 0-1 #LIVMUN pic.twitter.com/gR0PYpzerJ

— Kitbaguk (@KitbagUK) January 17, 2016

LW: Anthony Martial

Martial made his United debut in the reverse fixture against Liverpool in 2015-16, coming off the bench to score a sensational solo goal at Old Trafford.

Now 25, the France international is into his sixth season at the club and has become one of the first names on the team sheet under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

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