Manchester United's treble winners 20 years on: Where the heroes are now and how they they achieved it
Manchester United completed an historic treble on May 26, 1999 so we reflect on the night and look at where their winning side are now.
Manchester United's Treble-sealing triumph in the Champions League final 20 years ago will live long in the memory.
On that glorious night of May 26 at the Nou Camp, late, late goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw them turn a 1-0 deficit into the most dramatic of victories over Bayern Munich.
It meant they became the first side to complete the European Cup, Premier League and FA Cup treble, and this particular special feat hasn't been managed since, with Manchester City's unique treble this year including the League Cup instead of the Champions League.
Ironically while United were achieving the treble 20 years ago, City claimed an unforgettable victory of their own - the League One play-off final! How things have changed.
Here, we take a look at what the starting line-up of the night have done since (and of course there's no Roy Keane and Paul Scholes due to their suspensions), while we also have a match report from the time, reaction from Peter Schmeichel and also reflect on some key games in the whole treble run.
Where are they now?
Peter Schmeichel
The Danish goalkeeper, who captained United in the Champions League final in the absence of the suspended Roy Keane, works as a television pundit and has hosted his own show - The Peter Schmeichel Show - on Russia Today. He has also appeared on Strictly Come Dancing and The Weakest Link.
Gary Neville
The former United and England right-back has proved himself one of the most insightful pundits in the game with his work for Sky Sports. Neville also co-owns Football League newcomers Salford City along with fellow Class of '92 graduates Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville and David Beckham.
Jaap Stam
The Dutch defender is set to succeed Giovanni Van Bronckhorst as Feyenoord manager, with a compensation package taking him from his current job at PEC Zwolle. Stam took his first step into management at Reading in 2016.
Ronny Johnsen
The former centre-back has been working as a pundit for Norwegian channel TV2 and also has a role as one of United's ambassadors. He has taken his coaching badges and has a UEFA A licence but has yet to venture into management.
Denis Irwin
Another to do ambassadorial work for the club, the treble-winning left-back works as a presenter on United's in-house MUTV channel and appears as a pundit on Irish network RTE.
Jesper Blomqvist
Initially after retirement, the Swedish winger worked as a pundit in his native country but he now owns a pizza restaurant on Lidingo Island near Stockholm - perhaps inspired by his time at AC Milan and Parma.
Nicky Butt
The 44-year-old is head of the youth academy at United, replacing another former Red Brian McClair in the role in 2016. Butt has helped to oversee Marcus Rashford's breakthrough into the first team.
David Beckham
As well as his recently acquired stake in Salford, Beckham is starting up his MLS franchise in Miami. The former England captain still does charity work for UNICEF, modelling for a range of lucrative sponsors and various television appearances.
Ryan Giggs
Currently in charge of the Wales national team, the Salford co-owner cut his teeth in management at Old Trafford as caretaker boss following the dismissal of David Moyes in 2014. Giggs was then assistant to Louis Van Gaal for two years.
Dwight Yorke
Assistant manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national side in 2009 and 2010, Yorke occasionally works a a pundit. He paid off a seven-figure tax debt to avoid a bankruptcy petition filed by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) at the end of 2018.
Andy Cole
Currently on the coaching staff at League Two club Macclesfield, having been brought in by manager Sol Campbell in January. Cole is back in good health again having needed a kidney transplant to save his life in April 2017.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The match-winner in the Champions League final is the current manager of the club.
Teddy Sheringham
Occasional television pundit, the former Stevenage manager was in charge of Indian Super League club ATK up until the beginning of 2018. He recently became a father again at the age of 51.
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Phil Neville
The Salford co-owner is the manager of the England Women's team and will lead them into World Cup action next month.
David May
The former United central defender now appears as a presenter and pundit on the club's in-house MUTV channel.
Raimond Van Der Gouw
The 56-year-old is currently the goalkeeping coach at Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem, the club he played for before joining United.
Wes Brown
The 39-year-old has not officially retired and was playing in the Indian Super League for Kerala Blasters in 2018. Brown does work with the Manchester United Foundation.
Jonathan Greening
The 40-year-old can be heard on BBC radio and podcasts and also works at the i2i Soccer Academy based in York.
Manchester United's key wins en route to the treble
United 2 Liverpool 1, FA Cup, January 24
The treble was almost over before it had even been spoken about as a possibility. Liverpool led for much of the fourth-round tie courtesy of Michael Owen's second-minute header. However, goals from Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the final two minutes completed a sensational turnaround and gave United just their second victory over their arch-rivals in the competition since 1922.
Arsenal 1 United 2, FA Cup, April 14
A night of incredible drama at Villa Park as the treble dream dangled by a thread. David Beckham put Sir Alex Ferguson's side ahead but the semi-final replay swung Arsenal's way after Dennis Bergkamp's equaliser and a red card for Roy Keane. The Gunners had the chance to win it in injury time after Phil Neville tripped Ray Parlour for a penalty, but Peter Schmeichel saved Bergkamp's spot-kick. An outstanding solo goal from Ryan Giggs in the second period of extra-time saw 10-man United progress to the final.
Juventus 2 United 3, Champions League, April 21
The treble was under serious threat again as United found themselves 2-0 down in the Stadio delle Alpi after only 11 minutes and 3-1 behind on aggregate. Keane had been booked and knew he would miss the final should his team get there but he dragged them back into the tie. His header and a strike from Yorke cancelled out Filippo Inzaghi's early double and put United ahead on away goals. Andy Cole scored with seven minutes remaining as the Red Devils stunned Juventus in Turin to reach a first European Cup final for 31 years.
United 2 Tottenham 1, Premier League, May 16
Ferguson's team went into the final game of the season a point in front of Arsenal and knowing that victory would secure a fifth Premier League title in seven years. Things got nervy at Old Trafford when Les Ferdinand put Spurs ahead but goals from Beckham and Cole either side of half-time were enough to secure the first piece of silverware in United's treble quest.
United 2 Newcastle 0, FA Cup, May 22
Goals from substitute Teddy Sheringham in the first half and Paul Scholes early in the second period saw United win the FA Cup for a then-record 10th time and complete a third league and cup double that decade.
Bayern Munich 1 Manchester United 2, Champions League, May 26
United continued to do it the hard way right until the end, making a nightmare start to the final at the Nou Camp as Mario Basler's free-kick put Bayern ahead after just six minutes. The Germans hit the woodwork three times in the second half but somehow Ferguson's team stayed in the match. The treble looked like it had slipped away at the last hurdle but injury-time goals from Sheringham and Solskjaer sealed a sensational comeback victory and rounded off an unforgettable 11 days for the club which had brought three trophies.
Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich: Match report
Alex Ferguson always says his amazing Manchester United side like to do things the hard way but even he could not have predicted the simply incredible comeback which they produced in the Nou Camp to win the European Champions' Cup.
Any dreams of the Treble seemed firmly dead and buried when injury-time started in Barcelona with Bayern Munich 1-0 ahead and promising to extend the Germans' position as the nemesis of English football.
But 40 seconds into added time, with even goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel up for a corner in a desperate final move, Ryan Giggs played a half-clearance back into the penalty area and substitute Teddy Sheringham swept the ball home on the turn.
Time was suspended for a millisecond as all eyes turned to the linesman but he pointed to the centre-circle and United had come back from the dead.
However, if that was incredible, the winner was simply unbelievable.
Within a minute, another David Beckham corner had been flicked on by Sheringham and there was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, on the pitch for just 10 minutes, to prod the ball home.
The Germans were simply devastated, falling to their knees in complete and utter dejection. Within 20 seconds, the final whistle had sounded and the most stunning comeback imaginable had been completed.
More than half of the capacity 90,000 crowd erupted with unrestrained euphoria, even Ferguson could hardly believe his eyes, but when the tears of joy had cleared, there was Schmeichel lifting the European Cup in his final appearance for the club.
The achievement of Sir Matt Busby in leading United to the trophy in 1968 had finally been matched, the historic Treble of League, FA Cup and European Cup had been achieved and the continent's biggest prize was back in England after an agonisingly long 15-year wait.
And it was entirely fitting that Ferguson's place in the pantheon of the greatest managers in the game should have been secured on what would have been Sir Matt's 90th birthday.
Perhaps we should never have doubted United, given the way they had already come back from 2-0 down within 11 minutes at Juventus to win 3-2 and from 1-0 down with two minutes to go to beat Liverpool in the FA Cup.
But oh, how they made us sweat.
Roy Keane may have been one of the proudest United players as he lifted the cup in ecstasy but his loss through suspension was keenly felt for 65 minutes until finally, Ferguson changed his tactics.
Until then, United may have two of the best wingers in the world but one of them, Beckham, was leading a lonely creative battle in central midfield, while the other, Giggs, was marooned out on the right flank, cutting inside all too predictably at every turn.
Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who had led Borussia Dortmund to victory against United in the semi-finals of the competition two years ago, appeared to have pulled off another tactical masterstroke as his side rode roughshod over Ferguson's team.
They even took the lead after six minutes as they gave United a rude awakening from which they almost never recovered.
Ronny Johnsen fouled Carsten Jancker on the edge of the penalty area as the striker burst forward and Mario Basler curled his free-kick low into the far corner.
Schmeichel was left helplessly rooted on his heels as the ball passed exactly through the gap left when Markus Babbel had cleverly turned Nicky Butt on the edge of the wall.
United were being hustled out of their stride by a team who had clearly done their homework as Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke - both expertly marked - attempted to survive on emergency rations with their supply lines cut.
There was the glimpse of an opening just after the break when Jesper Blomqvist beat keeper Oliver Kahn to a cross from Giggs but he could not keep his shot down at full stretch.
The crowd's calls for Sheringham were duly met with the striker's introduction with 24 minutes left for the hapless Blomqvist.
At last Beckham and Giggs were restored to their rightful places, with Yorke dropping deeper, and Cole mishit an overhead kick just after Jaap Stam had headed over.
The Germans countered by withdrawing Alexander Zickler for midfielder Mehmet Scholl, leaving Jancker up front on his own.
Steffen Effenberg then threatened with a long-range drive before only a giant leap by Schmeichel prevented the midfielder lobbing him as he broke clear.
It was almost completely over for United with 11 minutes left when Basler set up Scholl after a superb run and the substitute's chip over Schmeichel looked goalbound until it rebounded off the post back into the relieved keeper's arms.
Butt threatened at the other end but his hooked cross eluded his team-mates, while Solskjaer's header was clutched by Kahn within a minute of him coming on for Cole.
The match was simply exploding into action by now, with Schmeichel diving full-length to deny Scholl and Jancker's overhead kick striking the underside of the bar as United sacrificed defence for attack.
Solskjaer back-heeled the ball to Sheringham but his shot was easily gathered by Kahn, Yorke completely missed his kick in the penalty area and Solskjaer's header was saved.
Memories of yet another German victory to match the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96 were flooding back but then came those two simple incredible late strikes.
It was a match which no one in the Nou Camp will ever forget.
United secured their places in the history books and, whisper it quietly, possibly even in the hearts of a nation as well.
Peter Schmeichel's memories
Peter Schmeichel was captain on the night that Manchester United wrote their name into the history books by sealing the Treble.
Having already lifted the Premier League and FA Cup, the jaw-dropping 2-1 comeback win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on May 26, 1999 remains unmatched by any English club 20 years on.
Schmeichel could scarcely have wished for a better final appearance for United and told Press Association Sport about that unforgettable 1998-99 campaign under Sir Alex Ferguson.
"We had this incredible season," Schmeichel said.
"A season starts in August, but the incredible bit started just before Christmas when we played Middlesbrough at Old Trafford - the only game, incidentally, that Sir Alex wasn't there for in my time.
"I can't even remember why he wasn't there, but we lost the game 3-2 and we were poor. Really, really poor.
"Probably the worst game we've played - and we've had some terrible results, worse than that.
"But in terms of how we played and how we approached the game, it was just embarrassing.
"We were sat in the dressing room afterwards and we basically looked each other and said: 'This wasn't good enough, we've let the club down, we let the fans down, we let the manager down who wasn't there - this is not going to happen again'.
"And we agreed on that. 'That's not going to happen, let's just go out there and win whatever game we play now - we have to win every game'.
"So, it kind of started out as something let's get our thoughts onto the next day but then it became a joke.
"You know, OK, so we say we're going to win the rest of the games so - I can't remember the number, let's just say it's 38 games in all the cups - if we win 38 games, we've had this incredible season. Unbelievable season. We're making history.
"And suddenly we're there. Three games to go! If we win the next three games... and we didn't lose a single game up until then.
"We've got the last game in the Premier League against Spurs, the FA Cup final against Newcastle, the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
"It was there. Win the next three games and we've had this incredible season, we've made history - and it was a realistic thing."
Andy Cole and David Beckham scored as United came from behind to beat Tottenham on the final day to clinch the Premier League before the second part of the Treble was secured thanks to Teddy Sheringham and Paul Scholes' strikes in the FA Cup final against Newcastle.
"What happened was we were in this kind of bubble," Schmeichel added. "There was nothing in us that could even think about, contemplate that we could lose a game.
"Why should we lose a game? Look around, look at the players, look at the guy sat next to you - we don't lose games.
"So that's not being arrogant, it's just an incredible belief in our own ability with a manager like Sir Alex reminding us of how good we were and letting us do exactly what we wanted to do on the pitch. And we did that."
United went into the Champions League final at the Nou Camp without two of their key men and Schmeichel explained the changes that the side had to make.
"Then we get to the Champions League final, where two of the most important players that we had in the squad, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, were suspended for this game," he said.
"We had to make so many changes, so a lot of what we were very good at.
"For instance, having David Beckham on the right-hand side crossing the ball into Cole and Dwight Yorke is something we didn't have because David Beckham had to play in central midfield.
"So we had Ryan Giggs playing in his position because the only other alternative was to play Jesper Blomqvist on the left and he could only play on the left, so not only did he take Ryan away from the left-hand side, you also put him on the right and we didn't have the weapon of David Beckham.
"As good as Ryan was, he couldn't cross the ball on his right foot as David could.
"So, there was a lot of things we didn't have in that game and, do you know, when it got to the crunch time with five minutes to go, we had to throw caution to the wind. And that's where we excelled.
"That's probably the best team ever to do that - simply just commit people forward, bombard the other team and still believing that we could turn this game around.
"And as history will show, we got a corner kick which we equalised in added on time.
"And then one minute later we got another corner kick and we scored, and we turned being 1-0 down to a 2-1 victory.
"But I think at the end of the day, that's just who we were. We just did not contemplate losing. The fact that no-one's ever done it, that speaks for itself. It's really difficult because it's one tiny mistake."