Words from the club captain

Their attacking football still has a big influence now, so it’s really important for myself, and it’s really important for the lads as a team, to pay our respects on the anniversary. 

I think when I first came to the club you knew about the Munich Air Disaster, but you didn’t know too much in detail.

Now I think it’s my responsibility and other players’ responsibility, and staff as well, to educate everyone around the club because we know how important it is to the club and the way we want to be, the way we want to move forward. 

These games closest to the Munich anniversary are always really emotional. You feel the affection from everyone in the stadium.

The respect is so high and it’s an emotional game on an emotional weekend, and it’s great that we get to pay our respects. 

I feel really honoured to be a part of it. 

I was away with England last year and managed to go to Manchesterplatz over in Munich, and that was really important to me. I was pleased to be able to see the memorial and pay my respects. A few England staff came with me there and they told me about how emotional it was for them as well. 

So it’s not just us as a club, it’s us as a country that was affected and has this affection towards the Busby Babes.

I think the United fans, I can’t speak highly enough of them in terms of the atmosphere they bring, but also the respect they bring to situations. 

As a club, they handle things really well, they always have done, and the fans are right behind us in that. It’s really important they carry on paying their respects and I’m sure they always will. 

I have always said this is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest, and I’m the captain of it... that is a huge honour for me, a real privilege. A club with so much tradition, so much history. 

I’m really proud and honoured to move the club forward.

This column is taken from a special edition of United Review, the matchday programme at Old Trafford.