Speaking about the league Cup win in 1992:
"We had won the FA Cup in 1990 and the Cup Winners' Cup the season after,
so it was really important to us to keep winning trophies
"The manager had struggled in his early days but we had started to get the
taste of reaching finals and didn't want to lose it.
"You just want to be involved in finals all the time. The more you win, the more
you want to do it. We have players who have won so many things, but they
will be desperate to win. You just want to win medals so you have great
memories.
"I remember scoring vividly. I should have had another too and I was pretty
fortunate to win the man-of-the-match award because Mike Phelan had an
outstanding game."
Talking about the 20 goal barrier and the Championship he said:
"I did the 20 goals and Dwight Yorke has done it since but it was the title
everyone wanted.
"Finally winning it wasn't necessarily brilliant for our careers but it was great
for the players who came afterwards because they didn't have it hanging
around their necks. Now there is a rich vein of recent winning history at the
club.
"The manager has always felt Manchester United players are special people.
They have to deal with what the club is all about and that was one less burden
for them."
History means nothing to Fergie though:
"It doesn't matter how many trophies the club have won the previous year, on
the first day of pre-season he will always say that what has gone before
doesn't matter.
"He always wanted to get back to the top of the mountain. He was always
willing to try and the players who weren't fell by the wayside.
"If he feels players aren't focussed or interested in winning, he won't put up
with it - he never has."
McClair is happy with his position at United now:
"I always wanted to be a football player and if I couldn't do that I wanted to be
a teacher. Now I teach football.
"The youth structure of the club has always been important to the manager.
"If he can get one player through every year, he might have the money to buy
the best players available instead of two who are not quite at the same level.
"These days, clubs start looking at players when they are six or seven and
bringing them in formally at nine.
"Before they get to me, they have had quite a big education and hopefully by
that time, you get a decent raw product.
"My job is to teach them what football is about. We want them to step up to
the next level.
"We want to have fun but we have to be real professionals and knock off any
little edges.
"I feel good that the manager wanted me to do it."
He's also happy about the transfer window giving more opportunities to
youngsters
"The transfer window has been a great bonus.
"There was the situation when so many players were out and the kids were
put in. The ones below that can see that for six months the manager can't buy
anyone. If they are doing well enough the manager will always put them in."
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