The 2014-15 campaign delivered a crucial return to the top tier of European football for Manchester United as The Red Devils secured a 4th-place finish in the Premier League in Louis van Gaal's first season. Leading the charge was captain Wayne Rooney, whose 12 goals proved decisive in a turbulent campaign, featuring the emergence of David De Gea as the key player. It was a year of transition that marked the club's immediate progress back to the Champions League and established a new, albeit inconsistent, era.