David Beckham

Beckham: How Sir Alex kept us on our toes

Tuesday 21 August 2018 13:38

The Class of '92 returned to Old Trafford last November for the launch of adidas' Ninety-Two shoe, and at the event the Manchester United legends took part in a Q&A session for fans.

Seated alongside Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, David Beckham gave his thoughts on the United family, his favourite memory as a Red and how Sir Alex Ferguson kept him on his toes…

How often do you get back together as a group of six?
Obviously we’re busy doing other things a lot of the time, but we try to get back together and see each other as much as possible. And it's always the same - even if we don’t see each other for six months - it’s always the same banter and it’s like how it was back in the day.

Does it feel like family coming back here, and are there a lot of familiar faces?
Yeah, I always say that about coming back to Old Trafford, obviously I can't come back too often, living in London, and being busy myself. But when I do come back it's the same as it always was - United’s always been a family to me. You see people walking the corridors who have worked here for 20 to 30 years and nothing changes – that’s what’s special about this club.

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You won so much, but is that original Youth Cup still one of the most cherished memories?
We were just talking about our favourite memories of playing at the stadium - there were so many because we won so much and played so many games here, for the amount of time we did. But for me, the FA Youth Cup final is one of my favourites, to be able to play in front of that many people who came down that day, knowing that the first team was there, and the manager – it was such a special moment for us. We’d been so successful as a youth team, so to play at Old Trafford and to win the Youth Cup was special for us. And to be in the changing room with the first-team players that we looked up to after the game, made it even more special. It just really showed how this club is a real family.
You went to away games with the manager, sitting on the bench next to the substitutes. Did that time help when you eventually came into the team?
Not at all, because you’re always nervous of going in the changing room. You walk into the canteen and you’re sat two tables away from Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Giggsy. It's one of those things, at first you’re in such awe of these players. I used to go to these away games, I've always been a United fan, so to play for United was my dream. But going to those games - because I’d been asked by the club to go - I wanted to see the players, to be close to them, and the manager gave me the opportunity to sit on the bench for one game, which was nice.
David Beckham says

"We wouldn’t have been successful without the manger, the team-mates, or the fans – we were very lucky."

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