Where are they now, Man Utd's starting XI last time they played in a Community Shield final (2024)

Time moves quickly but things change even quicker in football of which Erik ten Hag is a prime example, as he was on the brink of sack just three months ago to date.

How about eight years then? That is when Man United last appeared in a Community Shield final before the take to the pitch against Man City in the recent iteration. The team beat Leicester City 2-1 that day to secure the trophy.

READ MORE: Community Shield 2024: Man Utd vs Man City Kick-Off Time, How to Watch and More

It was Jose Mourinho’s first competitive game in charge of the club (Feeling ancient already?) and the starting XI that day now contains people who are now sporting directors of Champions League clubs, pundits, and Championship managers, among others.

READ MORE: Manchester United manager history, trophies won, win percentage

Here we take a look back at “Where are they now” of United’s starting XI that day-

Where are they now, Man Utd's starting XI last time they played in a Community Shield final (1)

GK- David de Gea

Needs no introduction as he is now back in the news after securing a club for himself after sitting one whole season out.

His United contract expires after Ten Hag’s first season, he didn’t get an extension and didn’t play for a club in the 2023/24 season and will now return with Fiorentina in Serie A.

RB- Antonio Valencia

Valencia’s transition from a blistering winger to a hard-working right-back was complete by 2016. He stayed at United till 2019, leaving with 325 appearances, a record for a South American at Old Trafford.

Centre-back- Eric Bailly

This was Bailly’s debut game after becoming the first signing under Jose Mourinho. Early optimism soon gave way to an injury nightmare that wouldn’t leave him till he left the club in 2023 after his loan spell at Marseille ended.

A one-year stint at Besiktas followed where he was again injury prone. He returned to Villarreal, the team United bought him from, at the end of 2023 and could line up alongside Willy Kambwala this season.

Centre-back- Daley Blind

Perhaps a player many fans thought was sold too soon. Blind started that game at centre-back but was used at left-back and defensive midfield as well before leaving in 2018, and returning to Ajax.

A short spell at Bayern Munich followed and then he joined Girona, where he was the architect of their surprising march to Champions League qualification last year.

Left-back- Luke Shaw

He won’t appear for United in the recent iteration of the game and his status was shaky back then as well. His fallout with Jose Mourinho is well-publicised by now but it hadn’t been bad at the time.

READ MORE: Who is Luke Shaw? Inside the life of Manchester United’s flying English full-back

He was on the returning path from the horrific leg injury suffered in the previous season, the effects of which are still felt today as he has been injury-prone ever since.

Defensive midfield- Michael Carrick

First appearance on this list to have become a manager now. Carrick quickly became a favourite of Mourinho for his ability to control the game and his playing style stretched his career til 2018, after which he joined Mourino’s staff.

Where are they now, Man Utd's starting XI last time they played in a Community Shield final (2)

He remained at United in a coaching capacity under various managers, before leaving to pursue head coaching ambitions in October of 2022 with Middlesbrough. He is one of the most highly-rated managers in England today.

Defensive midfield- Marouane Fellaini

This start for Fellaini would be the beginning of a close bond with Mourinho that often frustrated fans but was extremely effective.

He left United in 2019 after seven years at the club to join Chinese outfit Shandong. He retired as a legend at the club in 2024 after making 108 appearances, scoring 39 goals.

Right-wing- Jesse Lingard

Lingard scored the opening game in that game and was gaining a reputation of a big-game player after his winning exploits in previous season’s FA Cup final vs Crystal Palace.

His output divided fans and he left United with a whimper after slowly having his playing time reduced under Mourinho, then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After a failed season at Nottingham Forest, he made a shock move to South Korea with FC Seoul where he plies his trade now.

Attacking midfield- Wayne Rooney

Rooney was reaching the end of his United career by 2016 and he was phased out slowly by Mourinho. He started this game as captain and assisted Lingard’s goal.

He joined Everton just a year after this which was followed by spells at DC United and Derby County, where he kickstarted his managerial career.

That career has taken him from DC United (again) to now Plymouth Argyle via a failed stint at Birmingham.

Left-wing- Anthony Martial

Martial and Mourinho would never really see eye-to-eye throughout their tenure but he started Mourinho’s debut game.

His resurrection under Solskjaer won him another contract which would eventually age to become an albatross. United were freed from it at the end of last season but injuries had curtailed his career much earlier. He is currently a free agent.

Centre-forward- Zlatan Ibrahimovic

The Swede made his United debut in style, scoring an 83rd-minute winner on the day to announce himself to the fans.

Where are they now, Man Utd's starting XI last time they played in a Community Shield final (3)

He laid to rest all theories that he was a spent force when he arrived at Old Trafford with a blistering debut season.

A cruel ACL injury forced him to cut short his spell at the club and he went to MLS. Complete domination there made him return to Europe with AC Milan, where he won another Serie A title. He is now the sporting director of Milan, tasked with setting the culture and mentality that made him a great.