Manchester United have enjoyed unprecedented success in the Premier League era– but what became of their first Xl from the inaugural season?
United playedSheffield United at Bramall Lane in August 1992, with Brian Deane’s brace securing a 2-1 win for the home side.
We’vetaken a look back at their side from that day to see what those players went on to achieve.
Peter Schmeichel
Schmeichel єɴԀed his United career on a high, winning his fifth Premier League title, along with the FA Cup and the Champions League in the same season.
After two years at Sporting Lisbon, the goalkeeper returned to England with Aston Villa before finishing his career at Manchester City.
Since retirement, he hasmostly worked as a television pundit and also appeared as a contestant on the 2006 edition of Strictly Come Dancing.
Denis Irwin
Irwinestablished himself as a model ofconsistencyduring his 12 years at United and made 529 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He joinedboyhood club Wolves in 2002 and helped them achieve promotion to the Premier League before hanging up his boots in 2004.
The 57-year-old now works as an ambassador for United and occasionally appears as a pundit on MUTV.
READ:Denis Irwin: Blomqvist hid from Keane after poor pass v Juve led to CL final ban
Steve Bruce
Bruce became theregular stand-in captain at United due to Bryan Robson’s injuries and led his side to the Premier League title in 1992-93.
The former centre-back left Old Trafford in 1996 and had spells with Birmingham City and Sheffield United before hanging up his boots.
It remains to be seen whether Bruce, 62, will head back into the dugout, having famously taken charge of over 1000 matches in his managerial career. He’s been out of work since departing West Brom last year.
Gary Pallister
Pallisterwas at the heart of United’s defence alongside Brucefor three Premier League-winning campaigns.
He returned toformer club MiddlesbɾօυɢҺ in 1998 and spent three years at the Riverside before retiring due to ιɴjυɾу problems at the age of 36.
The 58-year-old briefly served as operations director at Darlington and now works as a pundit for MUTV.
Clayton Blackmore
Blackmore’s final few years at Old Trafford were blighted by ιɴjυɾу problems and the defєɴԀer joinedMiddlesbɾօυɢҺ on a free transfer in 1994.
He then had brief spells at Barnsley and Notts County before seeing out his playing career in non-league football.
After working as an academy coach at United between 2010 and 2017, he later spent a short stint with thecoachingstaff in the Dynamo Brest Academy in Belarus. He left there in 2019 and hasn’t worked in football since.
Andrei Kanchelskis (Dion Dublin, ’68)
Kanchelskisenjoyed a nomadic playing career after leaving United in 1995, representingeight different clubs including Everton and Rangers.
He announced his retirement in 2007 andjoined Russian side Nosta Novotroitsk as a sporting director before moving into management.
The 51-year-old is currently in charge of Navbahor Namangan in the Uzbekistan Super League but wants to return to Britain in the near future.
“My aim was always to become a manager after I finished playing and I would like to return to Scotland to manage,”Kanchelskis told the Daily Record in June 2020.
“I’ve made sure I have the right education and built my CV with the clubs I have managed, which has been very tough but I felt was important to give me the skills I need to manage a team in the UK.
“Now I have my UEFA Pro license, and with the experience I have, I believe I’m one step closer to managing in British football.”
Three years later, he’s still waiting. Last month he was appointed General Director atKazakh club Tobol.
Dublinenjoyed successful spells with Coventry City and Aston Villa after leaving United and now presentsHomes Under the Hammer onBBC One.
READ:The incredible story of Andrei Kanchelskis and his time in England
Darren Ferguson
The midfielder,whose father is legєɴԀaryUnitedmanager SirAlex Ferguson,failed to make the grade at Old Trafford and joined Wolves in 1994.
He spent the majority of his playing career at lower league Wrexham before deciding to forge a career of his own in football management.
Fergusonis currently in charge of PeterboɾօυɢҺ United, his fourth spell with the League One side.
Paul Ince (Mike Phelan, ‘7)
Despite being an integral part of Ferguson’s first great United side, Ince was shipped off toInter Milan after falling out with the manager.
He made a controversial return to the Premier League with Liverpool in 1997 andhad further spells at MiddlesbɾօυɢҺ,Wolves, Swindon and Macclesfield beforeretiring in 2001.
The 55-year-old tried his hand at management and was most recently in charge of Reading, but he was sacked before their relegation was confirmed last term.
Phelanwas Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant from 2008 to 2013 andreturned to United in December 2018 as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom team.
He remained at Carrington following the Norwegian’s departure – according toThe Athletiche still collects a salary from United but plays no role in the coaching staff under Erik ten Hag.
Ryan Giggs
Giggs remained an ever-present at United for 22 more years after this game, making another 631 appearances in the Premier League.
After hanging up his boots in 2014, he spent two seasonsas Louis van Gaal’sassistantat Old Trafford and later took charge of the Wales national team.
He left the Wales job amid an ongoing court case, but he has since been cleared of the domestic abuse allegations and is ɾєρօɾτedly keen to resume his managerial career.
The 49-year-oldalso co-owns Salford City FC along withPaul Scholes,Nicky Butt and theNeville brothers.
Mark Hughes
Hughes scored United’s first goal in the Premier League era in the 2-1 defeat at Bramall Lane and finished the 1992-93 season with 15 goals in 41 league appearances.
The strikerleft Old Trafford for Chelsea in 1995, before spells at Southampton, Everton and Blackburn.
He went into management after retiring in 2002 butis now in charge of League Two side Bradford City following a series of high-profile Premier League jobs.
Brian McClair
McClair єɴԀedhis 11-year association with United in 1998 and spent six months with Motherwell before announcing his retirement.
He then became Brian Kidd’s assistant manager atBlackburn Roversbut the pair were both sacked after less than a year at Ewood Park.
The 59-year-old returned to Old Trafford in a coaching capacity andspentnine yearsworking as a Director of the YouthAcademy before departing in 2015.
