Just four of the 14 players who featured in Louis van Gaal's first game in the Old Trafford dugout have survived a turbulent seven-and-a-half years to remain at Manchester United to this day.
The Dutchman was appointed manager ahead of the 2014/15 campaign and lasted two years in the job before his dismissal after winning the FA Cup.
Van Gaal's tenure got off to a poor start on the opening weekend of the Premier League season as United fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Swansea City.
Ki Sung-yueng opened the scoring for the visitors, Wayne Rooney levelled in the second half and Gylfi Sigurdsson netted the all-important winner in the 72nd minute.
Perhaps it is not surprising that very few members of the starting XI and none of the substitutes used that day continue to play their football for United.
Without further ado, here are the fates of the 14 players who featured in Van Gaal's first game in charge.
David de Gea
The Spaniard is the second-longest serving player on United's books and he has enjoyed a renaissance this season, impressing between the sticks even if clean sheets have proved hard to come by.
De Gea has fended off Dean Henderson to reclaim the No.1 spot he briefly lost last campaign and Ralf Rangnick appears to favour him at this early stage of his interim tenure.
Against Swansea on 16 August 2014, there was little the 31-year-old could have done to prevent Ki's opener, but he was disappointed to let Sigurdsson's volley squeeze past him in the second half.
Phil Jones
The 29-year-old just about edges De Gea to the accolade of United's long-serving stalwart and he lined up as the right-sided centre-back in Van Gaal's 3-5-2 against Swansea.
Once a regular in the starting XI, Jones' last senior appearance came back in January 2020, with a serious knee injury ruling him out for months on end.
The former England international returned to fitness in September and has been named on the bench for a number of recent Premier League games, but it would be surprising if he is not sold in the January or summer transfer windows.
Chris Smalling
The lynchpin of the back three against the Swans, Smalling would go on to play a major role under Van Gaal and his successor, Jose Mourinho.
However, he slipped down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and joined Roma on a short-term loan in January 2020 before securing a permanent transfer to the Stadio Olimpico that summer.
Smalling, 32, reunited with Mourinho as the Portuguese was appointed Roma boss earlier this year and he has been in fine form with three goals in 13 games this season, although hamstring injuries have limited his involvement.
Tyler Blackett
With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic departing earlier in the summer of 2014, Blackett was drafted in for his senior debut against Swansea.
Although he is a natural left-back, the former England Under-21 international played on the left of the centre-back trio having drawn praise from Van Gaal in pre-season.
However, his time as a United first-teamer was short-lived and he only made 11 more appearances before joining Celtic on loan and later moving to Reading, Nottingham Forest and, this August, FC Cincinnati.
Jesse Lingard
The England international has shown his versatility time and time again over the years and lined up as the right wing-back against Swansea that day in 2014.
Like Blackett, Lingard was making his senior debut but suffered an injury which forced him to be taken off in the first half.
The 29-year-old was made to wait for more opportunities in a United shirt as he joined Derby County on loan until the end of the season in February 2015.
Lingard is still on the Red Devils' payroll but it appears only a matter of time before he departs as he prepares to enter the final six months of his contract.
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Darren Fletcher
In what proved to be his final season at Old Trafford, the Scot got the nod in central midfield against Swansea having been named vice-captain by Van Gaal a few days earlier.
Fletcher would only make 11 more appearances before joining West Brom on a free transfer midway through the campaign.
After retiring from playing while at Stoke City in 2019, he returned to United in a coaching capacity and has since earned the role of technical director.
Ander Herrera
Fletcher's midfield partner to battle the Swans was a debutant, Herrera, who joined from Athletic Bilbao that summer as the first signing of the Van Gaal era.
The combative Spaniard went on to make 189 appearances over five years with United before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in 2019.
Herrera's finest season for the Red Devils was arguably his first one, during which he scored eight goals in all competitions, while he lasted 67 minutes before he was taken off against Swansea.
Ashley Young
Van Gaal turned to the versatile Englishman on the left flank and he was tasked with providing cover for the inexperienced Blackett in behind him.
Young took on an increasingly-important role during the Dutchman's two years in the hot seat and was gradually moulded into a wing-back after many years in a more-advanced position.
He was also a key player for Mourinho but, like Smalling, fell out of favour under Solskjaer and departed for Inter in January 2020 before returning to Aston Villa this summer.
Juan Mata
The final of the four players who is still on United's books, the veteran playmaker has only made three appearances in all competitions this season.
The clock is gradually winding down on Mata's Old Trafford career and the 33-year-old is poised to depart when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The Spaniard was given the No.10 berth against Swansea for Van Gaal's first game in charge and went on to have a successful season, scoring nine goals and assisting four times in the Premier League.
Javier Hernandez
The fan-favourite Mexican made one of his final appearances as a United player against Swansea, as he was soon shipped out on loan to Real Madrid before joining Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015.
Hernandez, widely known by his nickname 'Chicharito', subsequently returned to England to play for West Ham before joining Sevilla in 2019.
The 33-year-old then signed for LA Galaxy and enjoyed a brilliant 2021 season, scoring 17 goals in 21 games.
Wayne Rooney
In his first game as club captain, Rooney scored an acrobatic effort to haul United back on level terms but the afternoon ended on a sour note as Swansea restored their lead to snatch all three points.
The England legend netted a total of 29 goals during Van Gaal's two seasons in charge and left United in 2017, 12 months after the Dutchman, after 15 years of brilliant service.
Rooney, 36, played out his career with Everton, DC United and Derby before he was appointed permanent Rams boss this January.
Nani
With United pressing for an equaliser, Van Gaal sent on Nani for Chicharito at half-time in what proved to be the winger's final game for the club.
The Portuguese maestro joined Sporting Lisbon on loan three days after the 2-1 defeat and left United permanently for Fenerbahce in July 2015.
Nani, a member of the Red Devils' 2008 Champions League-winning squad, represented a number of other European clubs before spending three seasons with Orlando City.
The 35-year-old was released by the MLS club this year but he has not announced his retirement.
Adnan Januzaj
One of the breakout stars of David Moyes' sole season as United manager, Januzaj failed to make the grade under Val Gaal and went goalless in the 2014/15 campaign, starting with his substitute appearance versus Swansea.
The Belgian wide man, 26, would later join Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland for unsuccessful loan spells, but he has resurrected his career somewhat at Real Sociedad.
Marouane Fellaini
The towering midfielder became one of the first names on the teamsheet under Van Gaal after making a substitute appearance against the Swans.
He is remembered for his lethal threat from set pieces which made him a useful asset under the Dutchman as well as Mourinho.
The 34-year-old brought his five-and-a-half year spell with United to an end by joining Shandong Lungeng on 1 February 2019, and he remains with the Chinese club to this day.
