(Manchester United News)
David Beckham set the benchmark for the most assists in a Barclays Premier League season for Manchester United with a remarkably productive campaign in 1999/2000.
The iconic ex-Red set up a record 15 goals during the title-winning term as Sir Alex Ferguson's team followed up the Treble by retaining the title by an 18-point margin ahead of second-placed Arsenal.
In addition to weighing in with six goals of his own, the blond-haired midfielder supplied the bullets for Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole in particular with his inviting crosses and pinpoint set-pieces. Only Jaap Stam appeared more times for United during that season and Yorke topping the club's assists list in 1999 interrupted a five-year stretch of Beckham leading the way in this regard.
Nani came within a whisker of matching his fellow right-winger's feat in 2010/11, another successful league campaign. The Portugal international helped Dimitar Berbatov reach 20 goals in the division, earning him a share of the Golden Boot, with one classy set-up for one of the Bulgarian's five strikes against Blackburn Rovers sticking in the memory.
Beckham is also joint-third in the overall list with his tally of 13 assists in 1997/98, again highlighting his contribution to the cause. His threat was evident during a particularly purple patch of 27 goals in six league matches, making hay in big wins over Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday and Wimbledon.
Another man to hit the 13 mark is Antonio Valencia, who enjoyed a wonderful 2011/12 season, sweeping the boards at the club's annual awards ceremony by scooping all three main prizes. The Ecuadorian created numerous goals for leading scorer Wayne Rooney, thriving on the responsibility of crossing to the deadly centre-forward.
To put the table into context, Angel Di Maria currently has nine assists in this year's Premier League with eight matches left to play and looks certain to become the ninth different player to top the set-up charts in a Premier League season.
Eric Cantona (four times), Ryan Giggs (six times), Beckham (four times), Yorke (once), Rooney (five times), Berbatov (once), Nani (once) and Valencia (once) are the other table-toppers.
