The matchwinner playing in South Korea, an unrecognisable star who lead his own team to silverware and the TWO players still at Old Trafford… where are the Man United stars that won the FA Cup in 2016?

Manchester United last won the FA Cup trophy in 2016 after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 in extra time.

Jesse Lingard scored the winner in the 110th minute for Louis van Gaal’s side to secure the Red Devils’ first win in an FA Cup final in 12 years.

In the eight years since Man United’s success at Wembley, the players on the winning side have had varied career paths around the world – and several are still going strong.

Others have turned to management, or are still looking for new clubs, as they look to copy the success of the 2016 FA Cup winning team.

Here’s a quick look at what happened to Manchester United’s 2016 FA Cup winners.

The day’s winning players have had mixed success since their victory at Wembley

David de Gea – the goalkeeper left Man United as a free agent last summer, but has not yet found a new club. He has been training on non-league grounds – in Red Devils kit – as he looks to secure a place for the 2024/2025 season.

Antonio Valencia – after ten years at United, he moved back to Ecuador in 2019 at LDU Quito, where he ended his playing career and retired two years later. He now looks unrecognizable after undergoing a body transformation, and has won silverware in his home country with his own team, Club Deportivo Tumbaco AV25.

Chris Smalling – became the fourth player to be sent off in an FA Cup final, and the first – and so far only – Englishman. Now the 34-year-old plays for Roma and won the Europa Conference League with the Italian side in 2022, reaching the final of the Europa League the following season.

Antonio Valencia (L) looked unrecognizable as he posed with ex-player Juan Sebastian Veron

Chris Smalling became the first – and so far only – Englishman to be sent off in an FA Cup final

Daley Blind – the Dutchman spent four years at Old Trafford before leaving for Ajax in 2018. The following year he suffered a ‘little heart attack’ which threatened his playing career, but he found himself fit again and after a short spell at Bayern Munich was able to guide Girona to a Champions League place in the Spanish LaLiga.

Marcos Rojo – the first player to be eliminated from the 2016 finals, he fell out of favor at Man United before making a permanent move to Boca Juniors in February 2021. He now captains the side and has won the Primera Division, Copa Argentina, Copa de la Liga Professional and the Supercopa Argentina since arriving.

Michael Carrick – he ended his playing career at Man United, two years after the success at Wembley with this cup team. He was briefly caretaker manager at the Red Devils, between Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, and has been boss at Championship side Middlesbrough since October 2022.

Wayne Rooney – Rooney captained Man United at Wembley and remained at the club until 2017, when he moved to Everton, then DC United and then Derby County. Although his experiences as a manager have been questionable – including a disastrous spell at Birmingham City earlier this season – it now appears he will take control of Plymouth Argyle for next season’s Championship campaign, as well as a BBC pundit for their Euro 2024 coverage this season. summer.

Finals captain Wayne Rooney will now join Plymouth Argyle as their new boss

Juan Mata, who scored Man United’s equalizer, is now a free agent after leaving Vissel Kobe

Juan Mata – the former Chelsea man scored the equalizer for Man United before being sent off after 90 minutes at Wembley. Since leaving Man United in 2022, he had a short spell in Turkey with Galatasaray, and another short spell with Japanese side Vissel Kobe. Like fellow countryman De Gea, he is now also a free agent.

Marouane Fellaini – in February he announced his retirement from football at the age of 36, after ending his career with Chinese club Shandong Taishan. The Belgian joined them after leaving Manchester United in 2019 after 119 appearances for the Red Devils.

Anthony Martial The Frenchman has remained at Man United since his move from Monaco in 2015, although he has had a loan spell with Sevilla in 2022. The club expected him to be available for the 2024 final against Manchester City, but according to reports that was not the case. travels to London with his teammates. When not playing, his last game in a Man United shirt was against Bournemouth on December 9, 2023.

Marouane Fellaini left Chinese club Shandong Taishan after five years

Anthony Martial has not played for Man United since the match against Bournemouth in December

Marcus Rashford – another name who has remained at the club after being sent off in the FA Cup final in 2016. In recent months, Rashford has struggled to find his form and was left out of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

Substitutes

Matteo Darmian – came for Rojo. The Italian remained at Man United until 2019, when he moved to Parma, and then to Inter Milan, where he won two Serie A titles and finished as runners-up in the 2023 Champions League, losing in the Champions League to Man City. showpiece finale.

Ashley Young – came on for Rashford. He was part of Man United’s squad until 2020, after which he moved to Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A, and then Aston Villa. Now 38, he still plays for Everton.

Jesse Lingard – replaced Mata after 90 minutes – but scored the winner with ten minutes of extra time remaining. He was on the books of Man United until 2022 and at one point played on loan at West Ham, before spending the 2022/23 season with newly promoted Nottingham Forest. Now plying his trade in South Korea, he showed remarkable recovery and returned to playing for FC Seoul twelve days after surgery.

Jesse Lingard scored the winner at Wembley eight years ago and is now playing in South Korea

Louis van Gaal was fired shortly after the final, but led the Netherlands to the 2022 World Cup

Manager

Louis van Gaal – the Dutchman was sacked two days after their FA Cup success, his only trophy at Man United. He took a five-year break from the sidelines before managing the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, before revealing he had undergone treatment for prostate cancer and retired from football.