Long-serving Manchester United trio Gary Neville, Paul Scholes
and Ryan Giggs have been paid a remarkable compliment by manager
Sir Alex Ferguson.
They are the spirit of this club, he said ahead of the crucial
Barclays Premiership clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
The three have all played a big part in pushing United to the top
of the table in their bid to regain the high ground from
Chelsea.
Ferguson recognises their massive contribution to the cause over
the years.
He said: They are the spirit of the club because of their
longevity and their loyalty.
The three are regular players. The only reason why they dont
play, apart from injury, is rest.
They have been here since they were 13 and are now in their
30s.
That means all three have been at the club for about 20 years. It
is amazing.
I do not think many teams can boast an achievement like
that.
When players see how contented the three are, it gives them
confidence that they are in the right place.
The impression I get is that most of the players here are
happy.
The spin-off is a boost for Uniteds recruitment drive, as Ferguson
explained.
He said: From a young local boys perspective looking at United
and one day maybe playing for the club, these three players are
great examples.
It gives them ambition to go on and better themselves.
The trio are all expected to figure at the Emirates Stadium and
Ferguson is pleased with the squad he has at his disposal.
United are looking at a mirror image of 1999 when success in the
Champions League, Premiership and FA Cup was famously
achieved.
He said: Success is always measured by success. Every team at
United has to do win and hopefully we are doing that.
We have a good strong squad, who are getting better in terms of
experience.
You look at us and there is good energy, good speed and good ages
in the team.
I have no fears about looking ahead with this group of
players.
We have been fortunate so far when it comes to injuries and that
helps enormously.
When you have your best players, you have a better chance of
winning.