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Manchester United are undoubtedly the greatest team in England and their record reaffirms that. They've won the most league titles, 20, as well as having won three European Cups/ UEFA Champions Leagues, 12 FA Cups and 5 League Cups.
Therefore, when thinking of United, so many different memories and people spring to mind. Matt Busby managed the club for 24 years and won eight prestigious trophies. Sir Alex Ferguson managed the club for 27 years and won 25 major trophies, and there have been a host of different magnificent players who have played for the club.
Here are 5 things that come to mind when you think of the Red Devils:
#5 1999
As previously mentioned, Sir Alex Ferguson won 25 major trophies with United, however, none were more special than the 1999 UEFA Champions League victory.
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After finishing second to Bayern in the group stages, United got past two Italian giants, Inter Milan and Juventus, to see them book a place in the final with the team who beat them to the top spot in the group.
But in the final, United were fortunate to still be in the game with a few minutes to go. They had lots of possession, but Bayern were having the much better of the chances, especially in the latter stages. Bayern had already hit the post before they then hit the crossbar through Carsten Jancker with just a few minutes to play.
United ultimately made the most of Bayern’s missed chances though, and punished them in one of the greatest comebacks of all time.
As the board was lifted to show there would be three minutes of added time, a corner was awarded. From that corner, Teddy Sheringham, a second-half substitute, smashed in from close range after a Ryan Giggs shot fell to his feet. It looked as though United had forced extra time, but they would go one better.
Winning another corner just 30 seconds from kick-off, David Beckham again swung in a brilliant delivery. Sheringham headed it downwards towards Solskjaer, who couldn’t miss, and the United players wheeled away in celebration.
When you think of the Red Devils, you can’t help but think of this incredible comeback.
#4 Class of 92
David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, and Nicky Butt were all a part of the class of 92 - a group of players who won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 and ended up being part of the United team that won the treble in the 1998/99 season.
Although many may say they were not entirely crucial to United’s treble win, the fact they were all academy graduates and all played a role in winning the league, the Champions League and the FA Cup is a memorable story.
These players, who were once youth team players, were all an imperative part of a hugely successful United team. Giggs, Gary Neville and Scholes all played regularly at the club until they retired, spending their whole careers there.
Beckham was one of the most talented United youngsters ever and made 394 appearances in all competitions. Butt also made nearly 400 appearances in total, as did Phil Neville.
They all dedicated the majority of their prime years to Manchester United, and both, they and the club, reaped the rewards of that, winning lots of major honours. They have all won at least six Premier League titles and one Champions League, and the fans of Manchester United owe a lot to these six individuals.
The class of 92 are definitely something that comes to mind when you think of Manchester United.
#3 Wayne Rooney
He was born a Scouser, but he will always be a Red Devil. Wayne Rooney played an integral part in Manchester United’s success, and turned out to be one of their best players in their history.
United signed Rooney for £25.6 million in 2004, which was a huge fee at the time, but it was an investment that certainly paid off. Furthermore, the fact that he was 18 raised even more eyebrows and made people worry, but as mentioned, he went on to become more than worth the fee.
The former United forward sparked his career in Manchester into life with a hat-trick on his debut, in Europe. He immediately showed maturity beyond his age with a magnificent performance, which also broke a record with him being the youngest to ever score a Champions League hat-trick.
From that moment on, Manchester United fans knew what they were witnessing, a true great in the making, and they were right.
Despite being pushed wide or played deeper on occasions to accommodate the likes of Carlos Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov or Robin van Persie, Rooney got into double figures every season for 11 straight seasons, with 27 being his highest tally for one season.
With those goals, Rooney would break the Manchester United all-time scoring record, and cement his place in their history.
He is, for certain, a player that springs to mind when you think of Manchester United.
#2 20 league titles
“20 times, 20 times Man United. 20 times 20 times, I say! 20 times 20 times Man United, playing football the Busby way!” Is the famous Manchester United chant.
They have won the league 20 times, and that is more than any other team in England.
This is not just Premier League titles obviously, but throughout history. It is clear that the Red Devils are the most successful and biggest team in England.
In recent years, they have been unable to claim the biggest trophy in England, but it’s unlikely it’ll be long before they’re back on top again. They will be desperately craving another league title as they attempt to re-establish themselves as the best club in England.
Winning titles is not necessarily a hard task in itself, but for the club to keep winning titles over so many years and to stay consistently great, takes serious effort.
The club, as a whole, has been guided excellently and has always made the correct decisions in terms of who to appoint. This is not just managerial changes either, it is throughout the club and it is what has seen them be so successful.
They are a club that other teams model themselves on. They’re renown for being the greatest team in England, and winning the English league title 20 times, more than any other club, with Liverpool being second, emphasises that.
#1 Sir Alex Ferguson
It’s simply impossible not to think about Sir Alex Ferguson when it comes to thinking about Manchester United.
The Scotsman was the person who brought so much success to United, and dedicated his life to the club for 27 years, even after being on the brink of being sacked in 1989.
In his 27 years with the Red Devils, his achievements are endless. He won 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups and 2 Champions League trophies.
And in addition to that, he did a good job individually too, winning the LMA Manager of the Year award 4 times, the Premier League Manager of the season award 11 times and the UEFA Manager of the Year award once.
He is not only something that springs to mind when It comes to just Manchester United either. When mentioning the Premier League, you can’t help but think of the Scotsman, who has been the greatest manager the league has ever seen.
Even with how the Premier League evolutionized, not once did he fall out of touch with the game. He learned how to combine flair from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo with versatile players like Park Ji Sung and never lost the respect of his team, always keeping the togetherness.
He is a legend of the game, and will live on in the memories of United fans for many years to come.
