The question has been posed recently - should Dwight Yorke have been in contention to win the 1999 Ballon d'Or?
Let's take a look at the facts. In his first season at Manchester United, the striker had to deal with intense competition for his place from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole.
Undaunted, he scored twice on his home debut against Charlton Athletic and never looked back. Those who scoffed at him being Alex Ferguson's choice in the summer were made to eat their words very quickly.
The 18 Premier League goals bagged by the Trinidad & Tobago international not only ensured top-scorer status with the Reds but a share of the Golden Boot, alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Michael Owen.
Porto centre-forward Mario Jardel may have scooped the European Golden Shoe for his 36 strikes but Yorke's record in the UEFA Champions League also warrants attention.
The striker scored eight times in 11 games as Ferguson's men won the trophy in dramatic fashion, including two in the group stages away to Barcelona, and both in the 2-0 home victory against Inter in the quarter-finals.
At the last-four stage, he levelled the tie on aggregate with Juventus with a key goal and started the final before the substitutes turned the game on its head at the death.
His exploits in the FA Cup, including a superb brace in a tough replay at Chelsea, contributed to an overall tally of 29 strikes in his maiden campaign as a Red, a phenomenal achievement.
The goals kept coming in the following season, including in the Charity Shield against Arsenal at Wembley.
Whichever way you want to look at it in terms of the opening to the league season - four goals in the first three games, five in five, seven in nine - the body of work suggests the striker merited a place in the discussion for the top individual prize.
And there was much more to his game than finding the net. A modern central attacker, with great skill and awareness, his smile was infectious and helped keep the mood positive and relaxed, as the Reds chased glory on three fronts at the end of the most exciting season in our history.
Dwight Yorke discusses his Inter brace and David Beckham's ability.
The reality, though, is competition was tough for the award as the last century drew to a close.
David Beckham was the closest Red to winning it, with his case strengthened by a Man of the Match performance in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, as he put behind him the torment of the red card with England at the 1998 World Cup.
Inspirational captain Roy Keane was sixth and Yorke was the next-best United man but only way down in 11th spot.
The trophy went to Rivaldo, the Barcelona star, who helped the Catalans win La Liga with 24 goals in 37 games during the title triumph. The Brazilian scored 29 times in all competitions, including three in the Champions League, two coming in the draw at the Nou Camp against United.
Yet this is a pertinent point - Ferguson's men knocked the highly fancied Blaugrana out of the competition at the group stage, weakening Rivaldo's claims for the top honour.
However, what did go in his favour was his international endeavours. The classy South American forward was joint-top scorer and voted best player as Brazil successfully defended the Copa America in Paraguay. This tournament gave him a crucial edge, with Yorke only playing one game for his country throughout 1999.
Other names on the list read like a who's who of the top stars at the time. Andrei Shevchenko was third after displaying his qualities at Dynamo Kyiv, Gabriel Batistuta fourth and Luis Figo, another Barcelona representative, in fifth.
Future Red Juan Sebastian Veron, then at Parma, made the top 10, unlike the unlucky Yorke.
One award Dwight did win in 1999 was for 'Best Dressed Man', topping a shortlist that included Jonny Vaughan, Ronan Keating, Martin Kemp and Jeremy Paxman!
Football fans, and United supporters in particular, will argue that brilliant maiden season at the club warranted, if not the Ballon d'Or itself then certainly a higher final placing.
And don't get us started on the fact that the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Football Writers' award both went to Tottenham Hotspur's David Ginola at the end of the 1999 campaign!