Manchester United will welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Sunday.
The two sides have seen numerous players represent both clubs over the years, particularly in recent seasons.
Here is a list of the players with the most appearances for United who have also represented the Villans.
1) Marcus Rashford
The United academy product has played over 400 times for the Red Devils but spent the second half of the 2025 season on loan at Villa.
He impressed most in the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and secured a loan move to FC Barcelona the following season on the back of his fine displays at Villa Park.
2) Peter Schmeichel
The Great Dane’s final act as a Manchester United player was to captain the side to the treble in 1999. He then left for Sporting CP in Portugal but rejoined the Premier League in 2001.
He spent one season at Villa Park, playing 36 games, but also managed to score one goal.
3) Victor Lindelof
Lindelof spent eight seasons at Old Trafford, leaving in 2025.
The Swede joined Villa that summer and helped secure the Europa League victory last year, playing a key part in their season.
4) Ashley Young
Young spent four seasons at Villa before he was transferred to United in 2011.
The winger would spend nine seasons at Old Trafford and would captain the side later in his career.
5) Paul McGrath
The Irish centre-back was a mainstay of the United defence in the 1980s but joined Villa in 1989.
He spent seven years in Birmingham before leaving for Derby County in 1996.
6) Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Wan-Bissaka spent five seasons at Old Trafford after signing in 2019.
The Congolese defender joined West Ham United that summer, but after the Hammers were relegated last season, he joined Villa on loan.
He has been a regular, playing nine matches so far this season.
7) Dwight Yorke
Yorke spent nine seasons at Villa Park after arriving in English football in 1989. He moved to United in the summer of 1998 and was the side’s top scorer as they won the treble.
He won three Premier League titles in the three seasons he spent at Old Trafford.
8) Ronny Johnsen
The Norwegian centre-back played his best years at United between 1996 and 2002.
He moved to Villa Park in 2002 and spent two seasons before transferring to Newcastle United.
9) Alejandro Garnacho
Garnacho came through the United academy but was sold to Chelsea in 2025 after falling out with then manager Ruben Amorim.
The Argentine endured a tough season at Stamford Bridge and was sent out on loan to Villa this season, where he has hardly had a kick as his career continues to spiral.
10) Harold Halse
The forward played for United between 1908 and 1912.
He scored 21 goals in 31 games for Villa in the 1912-13 season before spending numerous years in West London with Chelsea.
| Player | United | United apps | United goals | Aston Villa | Aston Villa apps | Aston Villa goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Rashford | 2016– | 437 | 139 | 2025 (loan) | 17 | 4 |
| Peter Schmeichel | 1991–1999 | 398 | 1 | 2001–2002 | 36 | 1 |
| Victor Lindelöf | 2017–2025 | 287 | 4 | 2025– | 37 | 0 |
| Ashley Young | 2011–2020 | 261 | 19 | 2007–2011, 2021–2023 | 243 | 37 |
| Paul McGrath | 1982–1989 | 199 | 16 | 1989–1996 | 323 | 10 |
| Aaron Wan-Bissaka | 2019–2024 | 193 | 2 | 2026– (loan) | 8 | 0 |
| Dwight Yorke | 1998–2002 | 152 | 66 | 1989–1998 | 287 | 98 |
| Ronny Johnsen | 1996–2002 | 150 | 9 | 2002–2004 | 56 | 1 |
| Alejandro Garnacho | 2022–2025 | 144 | 26 | 2026– (loan) | 4 | 0 |
| Harold Halse | 1908–1912 | 125 | 56 | 1912–1913 | 31 | 21 |
| John Gidman | 1981–1986 | 120 | 4 | 1972–1979 | 243 | 9 |
| Colin Gibson | 1985–1990 | 95 | 9 | 1978–1985 | 238 | 17 |
| Jadon Sancho | 2021–2024 | 83 | 12 | 2025–2026 (loan) | 39 | 1 |
| Kieran Richardson | 2002–2007 | 81 | 11 | 2014–2016 | 41 | 0 |
| Tom Cleverley | 2011–2015 | 79 | 5 | 2014–2015 (loan) | 37 | 3 |
| Player | United | United apps | United goals | Aston Villa | Aston Villa apps | Aston Villa goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Sealey | 1990–1991, 1994 | 56 | 0 | 1991–1993 | 22 | 0 |
| George Graham | 1972–1975 | 46 | 2 | 1961–1964 | 10 | 2 |
| Jimmy Rimmer | 1967–1973 | 46 | 0 | 1977–1983 | 229 | 0 |
| Axel Tuanzebe | 2017–2021 | 40 | 0 | 2018, 2018–2019, 2021–2022 (loan) | 46 | 0 |
| Eric Djemba-Djemba | 2003–2005 | 39 | 2 | 2005–2007 | 11 | 0 |
| Mark Bosnich | 1990–1991, 1999–2000 | 38 | 0 | 1992–1999 | 228 | 0 |
| Stan Crowther | 1958 | 20 | 0 | 1955–1958 | 50 | 4 |
| Phil Bardsley | 2003–2007 | 18 | 0 | 2007 (loan) | 13 | 0 |
| Dion Dublin | 1992–1994 | 17 | 3 | 1998–2004 | 192 | 59 |
| Willie Anderson | 1963–1966 | 13 | 0 | 1967–1973 | 267 | 44 |
| Youri Tielemans | 2026– | 12 | 0 | 2023–2026 | 134 | 10 |
| Ralph Gaudie | 1903–1904 | 8 | 0 | 1898–1899 | 5 | 1 |
| Ritchie De Laet | 2009 | 6 | 0 | 2016–2019 | 13 | 0 |
| Mike Pinner | 1961 | 4 | 0 | 1954–1957 | 4 | 0 |
| Tom Heaton | 2021–2025 | 4 | 0 | 2019–2021 | 20 | 0 |
Feature image Dan Istitene via Getty Images
