Manchester United have enjoyed unprecedented success in the Premier League era – but what became of their first Xl from the inaugural season?
United played Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in August 1992, with Brian Deane’s brace securing a 2-1 win for the home side.
We’ve taken a look back at their side from that day to see what those players went on to achieve.
Peter Schmeichel
Schmeichel ended 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 has mostly worked as a television pundit and also appeared as a contestant on the 2006 edition of Strictly Come Dancing.
Denis Irwin
Irwin established himself as a model of consistency during his 12 years at United and made 529 appearances for the club in all competitions.
He joined boyhood club Wolves in 2002 and helped them achieve promotion to the Premier League before hanging up his boots in 2004.
The 54-year-old now works as an ambassador for United and occasionally appears as a pundit on MUTV.
READ: Irwin: Blomqvist hid from Keane after poor pass v Juve led to CL final ban
Steve Bruce
Bruce became the regular stand-in captain at United due to Bryan Robson’s injuries and led his side to the Premier League title in 1992-93.
The centre-back left Old Trafford in 1996 and had spells with Birmingham City and Sheffield United before hanging up his boots.
He is currently in charge of Newcastle United, having held 10 other managerial positions in the last two decades.
Gary Pallister
Pallister was at the heart of United’s defence alongside Bruce for three Premier League-winning campaigns.
He returned to former club Middlesbrough in 1998 and spent three years at the Riverside before retiring due to injury problems at the age of 36.
The 55-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 injury problems and the defender joined Middlesbrough 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 is now part of the the coaching staff in the Dynamo Brest Academy in Belarus.
Andrei Kanchelskis (Dion Dublin, 68)
Kanchelskis enjoyed a nomadic playing career after leaving United in 1995, representing eight different clubs including Everton and Rangers.
He announced his retirement in 2007 and joined 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.”
Dublin enjoyed successful spells with Coventry City and Aston Villa after leaving United and now presents Homes Under the Hammer on BBC One.
READ: The incredible story of Andrei Kanchelskis and his time in England
Darren Ferguson
The midfielder, whose father is legendary United manager Sir Alex 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.
Ferguson is currently in charge of Peterborough United, his third 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 to Inter Milan after falling out with the manager.
He made a controversial return to the Premier League with Liverpool in 1997 and had further spells at Middlesbrough, Wolves, Swindon and Macclesfield before retiring in 2001.
The 52-year-old tried his hand at management and can now be found complaining about statues in the BT Sport studio.
Phelan was Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant from 2008 to 2013 and returned to United in December 2018 as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s backroom team.
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 seasons as Louis van Gaal’s assistant at Old Trafford and is now in charge of the Wales national team.
The 46-year-old also co-owns Salford City FC along with Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers.
Happy Birthday, @ManUtd hero Ryan Giggs!
🧦 Games: 963
⚽️ Goals: 168
🏆 Trophies: 34
🎶 Running down the wing 🎶 pic.twitter.com/WsBesCNiES
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 29, 2017
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 striker left Old Trafford for Chelsea in 1995, before spells at Southampton, Everton and Blackburn.
He went into management after retiring in 2002 but has been out of work since leaving Southampton in 2018.
Brian McClair
McClair ended his 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 at Blackburn Rovers but the pair were both sacked after less than a year at Ewood Park.
The 56-year-old returned to Old Trafford in a coaching capacity and spent nine years working as a Director of the Youth Academy.
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Irwin: Blomqvist hid from Keane after poor pass v Juve led to CL final ban