Manchester United have enjoyed the services of a number of elite strikers over the years. One who does not get enough adulation is Dwight Yorke.
While Eric Cantona was the impact player who transformed Manchester United from pretenders to champions in the early 1990s, Dwight Yorke had a similar galvanising effect on the team in 1998.
Manchester United paid £12.6 million to Aston Villa to sign Yorke, a proven Premier League striker.
Sir Alex Ferguson was looking for a replacement for Cantona, having signed Teddy Sheringham a year earlier, the forward had a tricky first season at the club, and Arsenal shocked the Premier League by winning the title in 1997/98.
Yorke’s arrival changed everything. One year later he was celebrating winning The Treble, and led the team to three consecutive Premier League titles.
Now, during the 2025/26 season, Dwight Yorke’s name has been brought up in conversation about one of Manchester United’s current stars.
Matheus Cunha compared to Yorke
Matheus Cunha returned to the Manchester United starting line-up to face West Ham this week, and ahead of the game, there was a lofty comparison.
Former United midfielder Quinton Fortune likened Cunha’s ability and positioning to Yorke’s versatility and skillset.
Matheus Cunha has been compared to Dwight Yorke – Do you see it?
What are the similarities you see between the two players?
“Cunha’s got that ability, we were very fortunate to play with Yorkie, he could drop back, play in behind, almost like a 10 role.
“Cunha’s ability in terms of his shooting from outside the box, he’s got the pass, he can run in behind. It’s good to see him back.”
Quinton Fortune
Fortune explained: “Cunha’s got that ability, we were very fortunate to play with Yorkie, can drop back, play in behind, almost like a 10 role.
“Cunha’s ability in terms of his shooting from outside the box, he’s got the pass, he can run in behind.”
“It’s good to see him back,” Fortune added.
Fortune’s comments are fascinating from the perspective that Yorke might even have found himself playing dual roles in the modern game, where he played simply as part of a front two under Ferguson in a 4-4-2.
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Cunha has high expectations
The signing of Matheus Cunha echoed the move for Yorke, in the sense that United signed a proven Premier League performer.
Cunha spent two seasons at Wolves, and has now stepped up a level to play a key role for Manchester United.
The comparison to Yorke is an honour for Cunha, and follows similar comparisons to Eric Cantona, in terms of their maverick playing styles.
Cunha is only just getting started at United, and there is a lot of work ahead to live up to these expectations.
Ruben Amorim has even revealed that Cunha is giving himself a hard time because he is not quite meeting them yet.
But it’s clear to see the quality is there, and with time and a consistent run of games, he will start to make his mark on his club.
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