The Manchester United youth team of 1992, in which the young footballers Gary Neville (and later his
brother Phil), Paul Scholes, David Beckham and
Nicky Butt (all aged 16/17) plus Ryan Giggs (aged 18), won virtually everything there is to win at youth level because they were just such a fantastic team.
What makes this youth team so remarkable is that, not only were they all English (except left -
wales - when - i - was -
7 - Giggs), they were all also from Manchester (except Beckham) and later all went on to become regular and vitally important members of the Manchester United first-team for many years, as well as all gaining lots of caps for the
England side (again, except for lived - in - manchester - since - i - was -
7 - Giggs).
It is highly unusual for so many brilliant English players, let alone from the actual city they play for, to graduate through the youth ranks of a football club all at one time and become such rated and
famous footballers.
Many
people put the success of these youngsters down to their legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Indeed, sometimes the Class of 1992 are referred to as '
Fergie's Fledglings' (a modern take on the famous 'Busby Babes'). They are also the team that proved
Alan Hansen wrong when he famously remarked on Match of the
Day in 1995 that 'you
don't win anything with kids'. United, including many of these players from the Class of 1992, went on to win the Double months after Hansen's statement.
This excellent youth club is part of the reason Manchester United dominated the Premier League for so many years, and the remainders of this team are still excellent players now in their early to mid 30s.
Often shortened to merely Class of '92
Q. Who, exactly, was in the Class of 1992?
A. Gary (and later Phil) Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky
Butt, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.
Q. How many of them were English?
A. All of them except Giggsy (who has lived in
England since age
7)
Q. How many of them were Mancunians?
A. All of them except Beckham.
