Class of 92'
When Sir Alex Ferguson came to Manchester United in 1986 one of the very first things he did was to change the structure of the club and rebuild the youth system. Following the visions of Sir Matt Busby the development of players became his blueprint to success. The philosophy of Busby had been "if you want football's finest roots, you grow your own". In order to reap the best local talent Ferguson trebled the number of scouts he had covering the area of Greater Manchester, as well as this the club regularly held trials. Whilst in Scotland many of Ferguson’s teams had been built around a crux of home-grown players and there almost always was a youthful element. One of his earliest teams managed- St Mirren seen a team captain of 20 and the average age of the side just 19. They played attractive football and it drew the crowds back into the club. Within two seasons the side won promotion to the first division and were unlucky not to get to the final of The Scottish Cup. The following season they astonishingly won the First Division Title. A new challenge was needed and an escape of the strong powers that were often unsettling in the clubs backroom. His next destination was Aberdeen, the place where he really caught attention. His predecessor Billy McNeill had made headway with the club and had a solid youth development programme in place that ensured that there were a number of home-grown players already at Ferguson’s disposal. Victory in the League Cup in 1979 was the stepping stone to further success and that summer a number of schoolboys were signed, an impressive group all of whom went onto have good careers and five of them remained with Aberdeen to lift European Cup winners Cup in 1983, most notable were Alex McLeish and John Hewitt both played a central role at that time. McLeish is heralded as one of Scotland’s finest ever players. Success in Europe as well as breaking up the Old Firms decades long domination of the Scottish Championship were feats held in the highest of esteem, the gravity of what Aberdeen had achieved was recognised far beyond the Scottish shores. Ferguson had learned a-lot and the ideals of youth were carried down South of the border.
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| Eric Harrison and his Youth Cup winning team |
Winning the first title in 26 years in 1992/93, seen the club return to the glory days and it was a very exciting time. That excitement could also be seen behind the scenes in United’s youth team which was harbouring a clutch of extremely talented young players- even then they were regarded as the most talented group since the Busby Babes. They were playing exciting football, drawing crowds of fans to watch them and the senior first team players at the time were well aware of them and regularly observed. Of that youth team only one player didn’t go on to play at the highest level. At the end of the 1994/95 Ferguson made the forthright decision to sell Mark Hughes, Andrei Kanchelskis and Paul Ince- these men were key players and many fans feared it a move to be too bold. It echoed the confidence the manager had in his young protégées. The new season started and a team that featured many of the youngsters was beaten by Aston Villa. The 3-1 defeat led to that now infamous pronouncement of Alan Hansen’s “you can‘t win anything with kids”. How wrong Mr Hansen was, the kids proved that they could in-fact win everything. Their names are now written into United folklore, particularly the three Giggs, Scholes and Neville whom remained at the club. They are modern day Manchester United’s most dedicated servants and they are somewhat an anomaly in football these days- loyalty is getting rarer and rarer. To spend over 20 years at one club competing at the top level is really something special.
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| 92 lot, Gary Pallister and Sir Alex at the cliff training ground |
Ryan Giggs as a young player was already something of a local hero and aged fourteen he signed school boy forms tying him to the club he supported. Giggs made an immediate impact and was much admired by coaches and fellow players alike. He progressed through the ranks quickly and seen first team action in the 1990/91 season coming on as a substitute against Everton. The following season he was a regular in the first team and at the same time continued playing for the youth team, captaining the side to Youth Cup triumph in 92. He has been an ever present influence, making and breaking records and is the most decorated player in English football history. In Giggs early playing days he was an electric paced winger, skilful and was a beautiful player to watch the way he moved across the pitch. Currently and as an older player his intelligence has been his main weapon having lost the pace of his youth. Nicky Butt was the first player of the 92 set to make his debut for the first team. Harrison regarded Butt as his favourite, championing Butt for his courage, bravery and team ethic. He was a tough and hard working player who added a bite to the midfield. He had an excellent first season scoring crucial goals, Scholes development in a midfield role meant that Butt was not first choice and often deputized when Roy Keane was injured or suspended. Gary Neville had an excellent career, a solid reliable attacking right back. He was announced club captain when Roy Keane left fulfilling a dream. He was passionate and wore his heart on his sleeve, for that it has probably allowed many non-united fans to forget what a good defender he was. Never the most naturally talented footballer it was sheer effort that got him where he did. Gary Neville had a fantastic season in 06/07 but since then he has had major recurring injury problems. He finished his United playing career in 2011 having amassed 602 appearances. David Beckham’s development was slightly slower than the rest and he was the only one to spend a period on loan. The football world took note when he scored a spectacular goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon in 1997. Beckham exploded from there, with his deadly accurate crosses, spectacular free kicks and long passing he was an extremely influential player for many years. Paul Scholes can easily be regarded as the finest midfielder that the premier league has ever seen. A young Scholes had been held back at youth level due to concerns over his height. Coaches feared he would just get bullied and he took time to grow and fill out. There were other concerns he is asthmatic and had a condition called Osgood Schlatters Disease affecting his knees which not all people recover from. Despite his size and health problems, his talent was clear to see. Scholes was initially a centre forward but his role was altered to play in midfield- he was an excellent goalscorer of memorable goals. His favourite season came when he scored 20 goals playing in tandem with Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the 2002/03 season, playing upfront the majority of the time. As he’s gotten older he hasn’t scored quite as many due to him playing in a deeper role. An extremely talented intelligent player, his reading of the game is second to none; the range and accuracy of his passing unfathomable. Just an absolutely stunning player. Two years younger than the others Phil Neville made a total of 299 appearances his versatility provided a valuable option. He played more frequently in midfield in his latter years at the club.
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| Gather in the dressing room having sealed the double in 1995/96 season |
As a group they will be remembered and regarded in world football as one of the finest batches of home-grown players. They had talent and quality that was there for all to see. They played a significant part in the clubs most successful period in its history and were the driving force to that success. It wasn’t just their football that was outstanding but their mentality too. Born winners they channelled the Manchester United ethos and never knew when they were beaten. Having played alongside one another from a young age it fostered a unique spirit in the team. Outside of Untied the likes of Nicky Butt and Phil Neville have captained their sides. Beckham and Giggs both captaining their national sides. The importance of youth and their development is central to Manchester United, it is the club. Initially forged by the pioneering Sir Matt Busby and Ferguson brought it all back to life- recapturing the true spirit of United. You only need to look at the top appearance holders of the club to see the influence of growing your own. All the top five appearance holders are home-grown: Giggs, Charlton, Foulkes, Scholes and Neville- United’s greatest pride.
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| Scholes, Giggs and Neville with their Premier League team of the decade trophies |
Some Thoughts on the Class of 92’ by Ex-players, Managers etc…
“The group became so close and had such strong telepathy Sir Alex and I decided to keep them together playing Under-18 football for an extra year. We wanted to really bond them and eventually they went virtually straight into the first team having played very few reserve games. They had unbelievable desire, fed off each other's energy and were all totally dedicated. Not one of them ever got into trouble with drink, drugs or anything. To get such magnificent players together at the same time was incredible. Coaching them was fantastically exciting. They were such a determined group and such nice people as well. They were a joy to work with. They were the easiest footballers I have ever had to work with.”--- Eric Harrison
"These youngsters have come into the side and delivered in every game. The way the team is playing just now makes me feel sorry I am 33 this year and time is running out for me but I would love to be playing with these kids for the next 10-15 years.”--- Peter Schmeichel
“He (Scholes) hastened my exit from Old Trafford. I left at the same time as Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis, when Sir Alex had complete faith in the young players he was going to introduce, like Scholesy, Nicky Butt and David Beckham. They were the future, I was the past. Sir Alex was always -and still is - good at making key decisions at the right time and he got that one right.”--- Mark Hughes
"The senior players can‘t stop enjoying playing alongside these exciting kids. Sometimes I stand in my penalty area smiling about the way the youngsters can play”--- Peter Schmeichel
“Sir Alex was saying, ‘We’ve got this young kid coming over today, he’s going to train with the first team, so just be careful with him.’ We thought, ‘Oh well, he’ll just fit in,’ but then he took the mickey out of Viv Anderson, dribbling round him three times and we were all thinking, ‘Who is this?’ He murdered Viv. He was a kid and Viv was England’s right-back. That was my first memory of Ryan. I just went ‘wow’. Even if I’d wanted to kick him I couldn’t have got near him. I’d never seen anyone as natural. He’s the only kid who, at 14 or 15, you knew would be a superstar.”--- Steve Bruce
"The fact that Alex Ferguson was able to show such a hand of youth, one which so quickly won a title under the influence of the talisman Eric Cantona, will maybe prove in the long run his most supreme achievement. At a time when any other club had every reason to congratulate itself if it had brought through an outstanding young player once every two years, here was an explosion.”--- Sir Bobby Charlton
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| A then and now. Was great to see them all back on the pitch together for Gary Nevilles testimonial in 2011. |
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