Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, the Nevilles and Butt: the Manchester United academy group that won the 1992 FA Youth Cup, and the trophies that followed.
"The Class of 92" is the name given to a group of Manchester United academy players who won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 and went on to form the spine of the club's greatest teams. Here is who they were and what they achieved.
The 1992 FA Youth Cup
United's young side beat Crystal Palace over two legs in the 1992 final. The group had been developed by youth coaches including Eric Harrison, and Sir Alex Ferguson trusted them with first-team football over the next few seasons.
Who they were
Ryan Giggs: already in the first team by 1992. He went on to make a club-record 963 appearances.
Paul Scholes: the midfield passer, with 718 appearances and 11 Premier League titles.
David Beckham: a first-team regular from the mid-1990s and part of the 1999 Treble side.
Gary Neville: the one-club right-back, with 602 appearances.
Phil Neville: his younger brother, who also went on to play for United in the first team.
Nicky Butt: the combative central midfielder who was a regular in the great teams of the era.
"You can't win anything with kids"
In August 1995, after United lost their opening league game of the season at Aston Villa with a young team, pundit Alan Hansen said on television that "you can't win anything with kids". United went on to win the Premier League and FA Cup Double that season, and the phrase has been a symbol of the academy's success ever since.
What they went on to win
Multiple Premier League titles and FA Cups under Ferguson.
The 1998/99 Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
The tradition continues today: read about the current academy in our academy round-up, see the greats on our legends page, and the full trophy list on honours.
How the group was built
The Class of 92 were the product of a long-term youth system. Coaches such as Eric Harrison spent years developing players in their teens, and the group won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, beating Crystal Palace over two legs. What made the group unusual was how many of them, not just one or two, went on to long careers at the top level, and how much trust Sir Alex Ferguson was willing to place in them when the first team needed new blood.
After United
- Ryan Giggs: stayed for his whole career and retired in 2014 as the club's record appearance holder.
- Paul Scholes: retired in 2011, returned the following season and finally stopped in 2013.
- David Beckham: left for Real Madrid in 2003 after becoming one of the world's best-known players.
- Nicky Butt: left in 2004 and later returned to the club in a coaching and academy role.
- Phil Neville: moved to Everton in 2005 and later coached.
- Gary Neville: retired in 2011 after a career spent entirely at United.
Why they still matter
For supporters, the Class of 92 is the proof that a club can win trophies with players it has developed itself. That idea is a live one at United now: the club's recruitment of young players from rivals (see our academy guide) is a modern version of the same philosophy, although the current academy works under different rules and budget pressures (our finances piece explains why those matter). See the full trophy list on our honours page.