How Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United won the treble 25

Players recall emotions and excitement of three defining matches for club’s historic achievement across 10 glorious days

Tottenham’s Les Ferdinand worried his goal would hand Arsenal the title. Rob Lee recalls Newcastle “squabbles” going into the FA Cup final. Raimond van der Gouw predicted 2-1 but trailing 1-0 with a few minutes left told Phil Neville that Champions League glory against Bayern Munich in Barcelona would be “difficult now”. Recollections from players involved in the three defining games of Manchester United’s treble, the first in English football history, entering Sir Alex Ferguson’s team into immortality across 10 glorious days a quarter of a century ago on Sunday.

As Tottenham arrived at a sun-dappled Old Trafford on 16 May 1999 for the final match of the Premier League campaign, Ferguson’s team had 76 points, one more than Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal. Yet, after 24 minutes, disaster struck as Ferdinand scored in a moment of difficult emotion for the childhood Spurs fan.