Remembering Man Utd win which paved way for 'Class of 92' and Ferguson legacy

David Beckham. Nicky Butt. Ryan Giggs. Gary Neville. Phil Neville. Paul Scholes. Keith Gillespie. Robbie Savage.

Manchester United 's 'Class of '92' were the team who marked a generation of English football, conquering all before them at youth level before providing the backbone to team that went on to dominate the Premier League and win the Champions League.

They earned their title due to their FA Youth Cup win in 1992, defeating Crystal Palace 6-3 on aggregate in the final. It was the club's first triumph in the competition since 1964 and will forever be cherished as helping to build Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy at the club.

But the 'Class of 92' had, somewhat ironically, begun their journey to the top of football a year earlier - when that special group of teenagers tasted success in the Milk Cup (now known as SuperCupNI) tournament in Northern Ireland, in the summer of 1991.

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Fittingly, the star of the show for that title was not Beckham, Butt, Giggs, Neville or Scholes but a lively local player, who caught the eye with a series of stunning performance. Keith Gillespie had only joined the club a week earlier, from Belfast youth side St Andrews, who were managed by former Rangers scout Joe Kincaid.

St Andrews dominated Northern Irish youth football and Gillespie soon attracted the attention of Manchester United scout Eddie Coulter, who invited the Bangor boy to the Manchester United School of Excellence. Such was the impression he made, he was invited for a trial and then signed on an apprenticeship, which preceded turning professional at Old Trafford.

Within a week of that move to United, Gillespie was back in Northern Ireland to pull on the red shirt in the Milk Cup - being named Player of the Tournament and winning Man of the Match in the final against Hearts.

Speaking to Mirror Football, Gillespie reflects: "It is the competition where it all started for me, over 30 years ago.

"It is one of the best youth tournaments in the world and you only need to take a look at the teams that fly in from across the world to participate.

"Winning the tournament was fantastic, but to play so well in the final and to be named Player of the Tournament was special.

"Only that summer, I had gone over to start my apprenticeship at Manchester United and this represented an immediate opportunity to come home and play in Northern Ireland.

"At that time it was tough for me to leave home behind, but to have gone back just a week or so later and put in those performances to win the cup are happy memories."

This was the first indication that United had a special group of players on their hands, but nobody knew just how special at that early stage.

"At that time, we had all just started our apprenticeships and were getting a feel for the club," the former winger continued.

"At Manchester United, you are always expected to win - it was maybe six months down the line when we were performing so well in the FA Youth Cup that people started to sit up and take notice.

"There was talk within the club and murmurs outside of it that this was a really special age group of players.

"There were eight of us who signed on professional terms with the club all on the same day, whereas there will be years when you only get one or two of the group who the club commit to those deals.

"It was not just the fact that the talent was so high, but for so many to be considered for pro deals in the same year was definitely unique."

The success in 1991 was not the first time Gillespie had tasted glory in the competition, two years earlier he had starred for Dungannon Swifts (St Andrews had been unable to participate) and scored the winner in extra-time of the final.

"When we won with Dungannon Swifts at Under-14 level it was not something that you expect," Gillespie reflected. "But if you are part of a club like Manchester United then those expectations are entirely different.

"That shapes you a bit psychologically when you are the team that everyone else wants to beat, that draws the crowds and attracts the attention. Teams always raise their game when they play you.

"The Milk Cup was the first bit of pressure that we had straight away because we played against teams who were super motivated to beat us. We handled it really well that week and that must have helped us in the long run."

It is not just for the future stars of football that the tournament benefits, but for the thousands of kids who will never turn professional - but will enjoy the privileges of being at the heart of the tournament.

"At that age especially it is fantastic for those kids to be the centre of that sort of attention," added Gillespie. "You have the parade when you go through the town and you are applauded by the fans on the street.

"Then for the sides playing in the bigger stadiums, like the Coleraine Showgrounds, you are playing in front of a few thousand fans - which is something that you won't get at that age level anywhere else.

"Manchester United are always the team that fans will want to go and watch, and for that team it was our first ever experience of playing in front of crowds.

"But its important for all clubs as the vast majority of players won't have professional careers, but those are memories they can cherish forever and it will always be theirs.

"There will be dozens of players who can say that they shared a pitch with David Beckham or Ryan Giggs - there are elite calibre players who have been there every year."

Gillespie enjoyed a two-decade long career including 15 years in the Premier League across spells with Manchester United, Newcastle, Blackburn, Leicester and Sheffield United, alongside winning 86 caps for Northern Ireland.