What did the United squad want for Christmas?
During the first Premier League season, back in 1992/93, United Review took the opportunity to quiz the players on what they would like to receive for Christmas presents.
The feature, published in the official Manchester United matchday programme, yielded some interesting (and shocking!) results with suspicions of foul play in some quarters!
For those attending the game against Coventry City on 28 December, it will have made for a fun pre-match read ahead of a convincing 5-0 win for a team destined to become champions.
So what did Alex Ferguson's squad view as the ideal Christmas gift?
Starting with Peter Schmeichel, the Dane wanted 10 days off, with fellow keeper Fraser Digby explaining he was seeking a 'portable' phone so his wife could keep in touch with him during his loan at United from Swindon Town. Gary Walsh imagined a "money tree for our back garden" would be something worth wishing for.
As for the defenders, Denis Irwin fancied a week's golfing holiday in the west of his native Ireland and Paul Parker hoped to change cars as often as team-mate 'Sparky' (Mark Hughes). Gary Pallister allegedly wanted to be "let loose in Thornton's toffee shop" and his centre-back partner Steve Bruce needed the Cambridge diet plan apparently, although we seriously doubt these were genuinely their answers!
Equally dubious was Lee Martin's call to receive all Michael Bolton's videos - for those who don't remember his heyday, the American singer was famous for his smooth rock ballads.
Clayton Blackmore was eyeing a skiing holiday in Austria and Russell Beardsmore also wanted to get away, on a Mediterranean cruise.
Paul Ince was cheap to buy for as he was seeking only a visit to McDonald's to get a Big-Mac, chicken sandwich, large fries and a 'pile of ketchup'. Wingers Lee Sharpe and Ryan Giggs had cars on their Christmas wish-list, a Lotus Esprit and BMW convertible respectively.
In Mike Phelan's case, he was the only player referring to on-field targets, as he dreamed of a first goal at Old Trafford. It would not take long to arrive as, five days into 1993, he bagged his third and final strike for the Reds in an FA Cup tie with Bury.
Overseas imports Eric Cantona and Andrei Kanchelskis spoke in broad terms. The French forward, newly arrived from Leeds United, merely hoped that "everybody would receive the present of their choice", while the flying winger wished for "good health".
On that theme, fitness was at the forefront of some of the Reds' minds. Dion Dublin, who had broken his leg against Crystal Palace, wished for a "potion for curing football injuries instantly" and Darren Ferguson only desired a "return to full fitness and play 90 minutes' football".
Brian McClair hoped somebody could invent a "pre-season fitness pill".
Skipper Bryan Robson was keen to see an "end to the recession", while Mark Hughes supposedly sought a "miracle cure for greying hair"!
Perhaps the most inventive answer came from Danny Wallace, who wondered what it would be like to sit at the controls of Concorde. It was a shame he had left by the time the Treble-winning squad flew on the iconic plane to Barcelona for the Champions League final at the end of the decade.
We wonder what the present Reds stars would fancy on the big day but cannot help but feel some of the responses back in the day were hijacked by their colleagues!