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Serbs who played for Manchester United

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Nemanja Vidic in a Manchester United shirt

With 20 English league titles, Manchester United is one of the most successful clubs in England and one of the most recognizable sports brands in the world. Throughout its nearly 150-year history, several Serbian footballers have contributed to the club’s success. While most fans immediately think of Nemanja Vidic, he is not the only Serbian to have played for the Red Devils. Below is the complete list of Serbian players who have represented Manchester United:

Nemanja Vidic

Football fans in Serbia were well aware of Nemanja Vidić’s quality long before he joined United in December 2005. However, few could have predicted the impact he would have at Old Trafford. Already an established player with the Serbian national team, Red Star Belgrade, and Spartak Moscow, Vidić joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad on January 5, 2006, after his work permit was approved.

Although a move to Fiorentina had been agreed, United managed to swoop in at the last minute — a decision that turned out to be a masterstroke. After a limited role during the second half of the 2005–06 season, Vidic quickly became a first-team regular and formed one of the strongest defensive duos in Premier League history alongside Rio Ferdinand.

Vidić spent nine seasons at Manchester United, playing 300 matches and scoring 21 goals. His crowning achievement came with the Champions League title in 2008, along with appearances in two more finals (2009 and 2011). He also won the Premier League five times (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013), three League Cups, five Community Shields, and the FIFA Club World Cup (2008).

Nemanja was appointed club captain in 2010: He held that position until his departure from the club. Vidic’s dominance is further highlighted by the fact that he was twice named Premier League Player of the Season (2009 and 2011) — a rare feat for a defender.

Zoran Tosic

During Vidić’s time at United, the club also agreed on the transfer of two Partizan players — Zoran Tošić and Adem Ljajić. While Ljajić’s deal fell through, Tošić officially joined the club on January 2, 2009, making his debut later that month in the League Cup.

However, fierce competition for places limited Tošić to only five appearances for the first team. His only goal came in a friendly match against Hangzhou Greentown, where United won 8–2. Tošić regularly featured for the reserves and helped them win the Manchester Senior Cup (2009).

After just five matches in two seasons, Tošić moved on — first on loan to FC Köln, and later, in June 2010, transferred permanently to CSKA Moscow.

Nemanja Matic

When José Mourinho took over as Manchester United manager in 2016, one of his top transfer targets was Nemanja Matić, with whom he had previously worked at Chelsea. Mourinho got his wish a year later, as Matić officially signed for the Red Devils on July 30, 2017.

Even after Mourinho’s departure in December 2018, Matić remained an integral part of the squad until the summer of 2022. During his time at the club, he made 189 appearances, scored 4 goals, and was consistently one of the team’s most reliable performers — especially in seasons when the club struggled for trophies.

In the following section, we’ll also mention two more players from this region who deserve recognition when it comes to Manchester United.

Nikola Jovanovic

The first Yugoslav footballer ever to play for Manchester United was Nikola Jovanović, a Montenegrin defender. In 1980, he became only the second non-British player to represent the club. Born in Cetinje, Jovanović built his reputation at Budućnost and Red Star Belgrade before moving to Old Trafford. While Italian Carlo Sartori had come through United’s youth ranks, Jovanović was the first to join from abroad.

Unfortunately, his time at United was plagued by back injuries. He made 21 appearances and scored four goals before returning to Budućnost in 1982. He retired just two years later, at the age of 31.

Adem Ljajic

As previously mentioned, Adem Ljajić was part of the same deal as Zoran Tošić. The plan was for Ljajić to remain at Partizan for one more season before joining United in January 2010.

Throughout 2009, Ljajić regularly traveled to Manchester to train with the club. Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly described him as the “Balkan Kaká.” However, by the end of the year, United pulled out of the deal — officially citing work permit issues. Ljajić later joined Fiorentina, and never played a match for Manchester United.

Bojan Djordjic

Finally, we should mention Bojan Djordjic, a Swedish footballer of Serbian descent. Serbian fans first heard of him in 2003, when he joined Red Star Belgrade on loan from United. He won the domestic double (league and cup) in the 2003–04 season and scored a memorable goal against Odense in the UEFA Cup.

Despite showing promise, Djordjic made only two competitive appearances for Manchester United. Since 2021, he has worked as a pundit for MUTV, proving his lasting connection with the club.

Featured image: Modified from original photo by Austin Osuide, CC BY 2.0.

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