Who is the best French player in Manchester United history?

Manchester United has seen some incredible players from overseas wear the badge and particularly those from France have worn it well. Most notably at the end of the 20th century, there was an influx of French players coming over to the Premier League, a revolution sparked by famous Man United enemy Arsene Wenger.

Either way, Manchester United were certainly the beneficiaries of the fine French footballing genes as some of their best players in history have come from France.

That said, with the power of hindsight, let's take a look through the history books and answer the impossible question of "who is the best French player in Manchester United history?"

Here are the top three French players in Manchester United history...

Who is the best French player in Manchester United history?

3. Mikaël Silvestre

Mikaël Silvestre is one of those players who is easily forgotten about, which is hard to pinpoint why considering he made 361 appearances across all competitions for the Red Devils.

Mikaël Silvestre was a hard-working player, not one who was born with natural talent. He played a key role in the Manchester United team and as known, Sir Alex Ferguson was hard-to-please, so for Silvestre to make over 350 appearances under him suggests he was pretty special.

Mikaël Silvestre won four Premier League titles and the Champions League with Man United before making the controversial move to Arsenal. At Arsenal, though, he was a shell of the player he was at Old Trafford.

2. Patrice Evra

Patrice Evra might just be the most likeable character in the history of football. Even after he retired, he continued to have an imprint on the game, constantly spreading positive messages through his social media and of course, his punditry.

However, he wasn't always loved at Manchester United. In fact, when he first arrived, he had a difficult time proving himself. However, he stuck to it, and ended up being the Frenchman with the most appearances for Man United. 379 appearances across all competitions must count for something.

Patrice Evra is a club legend, by every stretch of the imagination. Benefitting from the immense tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, the full-back won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. If only they still made players like Patrice.

1. Eric Cantona

For a lot of Man United fans, Eric Cantona is their favourite player of all-time. While he wasn't the longest serving player of all-time, he certainly kickstarted the era by which Man United were the most dominant force in football. Therefore, fans have a special connection to Cantona.

Eric Cantona made the unthinkable move from Leeds United to Man United and ended up being one of the club's biggest legends. After spending five years at Old Trafford, he retired in Manchester. So, born in Marseille, his destiny was to become a Man United legend.

Cantona won four Premier League titles for Manchester United towards the start of the Premier League era. Before joining, he won the league title with Leeds United, but he is mostly recognised for ending his career with Man United. Acting throughout his career, he continues to be in the limelight now as a professional movie actor.

Who is your favourite French player to play for Manchester United?