All talk this season has been about the dawn of a new breed of
United starlets featuring players like Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez,
Anderson and Nani but its not the first time that the manager
has assembled a group of ultra-talented youngsters.
Remember Fergies original fledglings? They were another set of
players that came into the team at a young age and grew together to
eventually become the envy of Europe although since they were all
homegrown players they cost considerably less than the millions
lavished on the next generation.
The so-called class of 1996 that had Alan Hansen eating his words
included Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and brothers Gary
and Phil Neville but who will be remembered as the greatest
product of Fergies first golden generation?
If it was purely a case of longevity then Ryan Giggs who made his
debut first and could still outlast them all while becoming the
clubs most capped player would be the automatic choice.
Theres no doubting that Becks became the biggest star on the world
stage but his love for fame ultimately led to the breakdown of his
relationship with the manager and the subsequent sacrifice of the
worlds best right foot.
Phil Neville also left the club albeit without a flying boot in
the face to convince him. Interestingly, he was the one with the
greatest expectations at a young age but his versatility largely
reduced him to a utility role before making his mark as Evertons
captain.
Brother Gary has probably been the clubs most committed player
since monopolising the right back position and only his recent
injury problems have kept the current captain from being Uniteds
most consistent player during Fergies reign.
Finally, Paul Scholes often gets overlooked as an unsung hero by
most supporters but any professional will tell you that hes
Uniteds most complete player and if he plays well then so do the
team.
Its a tough call but which one of Fergies fledglings do you think
has flown to the greatest heights?
