Former Manchester United midfielder David Beckham expresses his hope that a documentary focusing on the club’s triumphant 1998-99 campaign, when they secured the treble, can serve as inspiration for the current struggles faced by the Old Trafford side.
Beckham played a pivotal role in the United team that achieved success in the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson 25 years ago.
However, the current United team finds themselves in eighth place in the Premier League standings and have not clinched the top-flight title since 2013.
Although United’s last Champions League victory was in 2008 and their last FA Cup triumph was in 2016, they did secure the Europa League title in 2017 and the League Cup in 2023.
“In all honesty, I think that anyone that watches this documentary and has a connection to United, that they’ll be inspired by it,” Beckham told BBC Radio 5 Live at the premiere of Amazon Prime’s ’99’.
“It’s been a difficult time for the team over the last few years now but it was always going to be.
“When we were as successful as we were for the amount of years there was always gong to be this time.
“Now, we feel it’s probably gone on for a little bit too long but it will mean something to these homegrown lads without a doubt because the homegrown lads actually talk about that moment in time so we hope it inspires them.”
Former England captain Beckham amassed 394 appearances for Manchester United, securing six Premier League titles among his honors during his tenure at the club from 1992 to 2003.
Gary Neville, who played alongside Beckham at United and served as the former England right-back, believes that history “can be both your ally and your adversary” at their former club.
Neville expresses his desire that the current manager Erik ten Hag’s team can secure an improbable triumph against rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, 25th May, thereby igniting a fresh era of achievement.
“At the moment it’s really difficult,” said Neville. “It mustn’t be easy for them having this history rammed down their throats and, to be fair, quite a few of us are on television and we’re talking about the team regularly so I can understand why that would be uncomfortable.
“I would hope that say, for instance, in three weeks when Manchester United play the FA Cup final against City, they see that as an opportunity to shock this country and probably the world by beating City in a final.
“It was an FA Cup that Sir Alex Ferguson won in 1990 that started off this successful period that we were part of. Why can’t this FA Cup against Manchester City?”
‘Need to get back to Man Utd standards’ – McClaren
Manchester United assistant coach Steve McClaren was also at the premiere, having been Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant in 1999.
He told BBC Sport: “Arsenal are back after being down and Man United will do the same.
“We have had many storms. I see tremendous plusses from Ineos coming in and what they are trying to do. It is identifying the standards and getting back to them.
“At certain times since I have come back over the last two years, we have had those standards. We have also had standards that have not been Manchester United.
“Speaking to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, speaking to Sir Dave Brailsford, they are getting the best people in. They want this to succeed. They have done that in their other sports and businesses. I am positive they will do it again with Manchester United.”