Peter Schmeichel
The Dane left United after the 1998-99 treble season and played for Sporting Lisbon, Aston Villa and Manchester City before retiring in 2003. Has since worked as a television pundit for TV3 in Denmark and the BBC but was criticized in his home country when he agreed to host a show on Russia Today in 2018. Often seen watching his son, Kasper, play for either Denmark or Leicester City.
Gary Neville
A one-club man, the former right-back has been busy since his retirement in 2011. Under Roy Hodgson he became an assistant coach of England and, as a Sky Sports pundit, he is widely regarded as the UK’s finest – a role he gave up in 2015 and returned to in 2016 after an ill-fated spell as Valencia’s manager. Also has a range of business interests, including part-ownership of Salford City and Hotel Football, and has had plans approved to build a £200m skyscraper in Manchester city center.
Ronny Johnsen
One of only four players who played the full 90 minutes of the three decisive games – against Bayern Munich (Champions League final), Tottenham (Premier League) and Newcastle (FA Cup final) – in the treble year, and is now a Manchester United ambassador. Has been a pundit in Norway and was this month working on the possible merger between two clubs, Eik Tønsberg and FK Tønsberg, in an effort to put Tønsberg “on the football map”.
Jaap Stam
The Dutch defender fell out with Sir Alex Ferguson after criticizing the manager in his 2001 autobiography and was soon sold to Lazio, where he was banned for doping. Went on to feature for Milan and Ajax before retiring in 2007 and became a scout for Manchester United a year later. Coached in the Netherlands before Reading made him their manager in 2016. Currently in charge of PEC Zwolle but it was announced this month that he will become Feyenoord’s head coach in June.
Denis Irwin
Joining from Oldham for £625,000 in 1990, he left United with more than 500 appearances and as one of the club’s most decorated players. The dead-ball specialist played in the Champions League final at the age of 33 before joining Wolves in 2002, alongside his former teammate Paul Ince. Has worked for United’s in-house TV channel, MUTV, since 2004 and is also a columnist for Irish newspaper Sunday World.
The Welshman whose chest hair is inextricably linked with United’s 1999 treble spent 23 years in the first team, enjoying 13 league titles, two European Cups and four FA Cups. Appointed United’s caretaker manager after David Moyes’s sacking in 2014, and was assistant when Louis van Gaal took over. Also became a co-owner of Salford City. Left United when José Mourinho arrived in 2016 and succeeded Chris Coleman as Wales manager last year. Has won five of 11 matches in charge.
David Beckham
The most famous footballer – and arguably person – of his generation left United in 2003, not long after a boot kicked by a furious Ferguson struck him above the left eye. His £24.5m move to Real Madrid started a decade of globetrotting that also took him to LA Galaxy, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain before his retirement in 2013. His total of 115 international caps places him third on England’s all-time list. Co-owns nascent MLS side Inter Miami and has a stake in Salford City. Voted 33rd in a 2002 BBC poll of Greatest Britons, two above Boudica and seven above Henry VIII.
Nicky Butt
Started the final in place of the suspended Roy Keane. The Manchester-born midfielder handed in a transfer request in 2004 to join Newcastle. Finished his career with a brief spell in China before taking up a coaching role at United, where he has had a variety of positions from assistant to Giggs to his current job, head of the academy. Also has a stake in Salford City.
Jesper Blomqvist
Left United in 2001 and injuries meant he made no more than 15 league appearances at any of the clubs he went on to play for: Everton (15), Charlton (3), Djurgården (9), Enköping (10) and Hammarby (6). Has since become a favorite in TV shows such as Let’s Dance (Sweden’s Strictly Come Dancing, which he won in 2017). Recently opened a pizza restaurant in Stockholm.
Dwight Yorke
Signed from Aston Villa at the start of the 1998‑99 season, the forward ended the campaign as United’s top scorer with 28 goals. He went on to play for Blackburn, Birmingham and Sunderland before working as a television pundit. Yorke is now an official United ambassador and was in Singapore this week at the International Champions Cup launch.
Andy Cole
The striker, who scored the winning goal in the semi-final against Juventus, was replaced by Solskjær in the 81st minute of the final. Cole stayed at United for another two seasons before joining Blackburn and eventually retiring in 2008. He suffered kidney failure in 2014 and was saved after his nephew Alexander stepped forward as a donor. Cole joined Sol Campbell’s coaching staff at Macclesfield in January.
Raimond van der Gouw
The Dutchman is a goalkeeping coach at Vitesse Arnhem, the club from which he joined United in 1996. A back-up keeper at Old Trafford, he had identical roles at West Ham and Waalwijk before finishing at Apeldoorn aged 44. Worked as a goalkeeping coach under Keane at Sunderland.
David May
Remembered for his wholehearted celebrations despite not coming off the bench at the Camp Nou, the central defender made only six appearances for United that season but ended up staying at Old Trafford until 2003. He now presents a weekly show on MUTV, having briefly dabbled in importing wine.
Phil Neville
Left United in 2005 without much fanfare but became hugely influential at Goodison Park and captained Everton, where he ended his playing career. Media and coaching roles followed before he was named as manager of England Women last year despite no previous managerial experience, save for a caretaker role at Salford City, where he is a part-owner. Has excelled in charge of the Lionesses, with England one of the favorites for this summer’s World Cup after winning the SheBelieves Cup this month.
Wes Brown
The teenager was an unused substitute against Bayern and spent the next season on the sidelines because of injury but he went on to play nearly 250 times for United before his departure in 2011. Spent the twilight of his career in India playing for Kerala Blasters under the former United coach René Meulensteen and is now part of the United legends squad.
Jonathan Greening
Now known as Jono, according to the website of i2i International Soccer Academy, where he works as a coach and mentor. Greening has a Uefa A licence and has coached at Nottingham Forest and York, two of his former clubs. Also played or Middlesbrough and West Brom after leaving United in 2001.
Teddy Sheringham
The other super-sub from that night in Barcelona amassed more than 850 club appearances in his 25-year league career and scored well over 300 goals. But Sheringham proved less successful as a manager, lasting only a few months at Stevenage in 2016 and again in India at the Kolkata side ATK last year. Was with Yorke in Singapore working as a United ambassador.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
The scorer of United’s stoppage-time winner was a key squad figure but rarely a regular starter across his 11 years as a player at Old Trafford. After injury forced him to retire in 2007, aged 34, he coached United’s reserves before taking charge at Molde in his native Norway in 2011, immediately winning consecutive league titles. He had a brief, unsuccessful spell at Cardiff in 2014, before returning to Molde in 2015. United borrowed him in December; now he is the permanent manager.
(The Guardian)
