the end of the second half. I saw it go through 40 minutes,
42 minutes, 43 minutes and I just thought that the Germans
had gone and done us again.
By that stage, we had thrown all caution to the wind. We had
got a throw on the left-hand side and Ryan Giggs was going
to take it, but I rushed over to stop him because I thought
we could do with a long throw into their box at that stage.
When that came back out, I think either I or David Beckham
managed to force a corner on that side. Becks took it and
Teddy scored the equaliser. When that goal went in, I just
got a sense that something was going to happen.
Even so, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got the second one, I
could hardly believe it. I don't think any of us could. Even
when we got back in the dressing-room and we were almost out
of control with delight, I don't think any of us could
really take it in that we had won the European Cup.
Everybody was just so happy. People were hugging each other
everywhere. What I remember most about those moments was the
feeling that what we had done actually meant something, it
had affected people's lives.
I suppose winning the trophy was the last piece in the
jigsaw for this United team. It was the one thing that had
got away from us, until Wednesday night, the one thing we
had left to achieve.
I had never really felt any burden weighing down on me
because of what the 1968 team had done. Trying to win the
league championship after such a long time a few years ago
was more difficult than any pressure to win the European
Cup.
Now that we have done it, it doesn't mean that we can stop
and sit back. There are teams that have won the European Cup
four times. Just look at the haul that clubs such as Real
Madrid and Liverpool have got. They are the targets. They
represent what we have got to try to get to. Even before the
game, the manager said it would just be a stepping-stone for
us, that the greatest things were to come. There is always
somebody who has done more than you in this game. The moment
you rest on your laurels, you are beaten.
Partly because of that, I didn't think Bayern deserved to
win.
In a way, you have to admire the way they nearly killed the
game off, but you have to ask if that is football and if a
team that does that deserves to succeed. Maybe I am being
naive, but should using all your experience just to stifle a
game be enough to win you a European Cup final? I don't
think it should. Think of all the great teams, Brazil in
1970, teams such as that: they would not have done that and
nor would we. I think the way we won on Wednesday was a
victory for football.
I don't think a team has ever entertained as much as we have
done in one season. I don't want to get carried away, but
think of the second leg against Juventus, the FA Cup semi-
final replay with Arsenal and the Cup-tie with Liverpool.
Normally, you would only get one or two games like that in
your life.
I am lucky that I have experienced so many of them at such a
young age. People are always coming up to me and talking
about how many medals I have got, but I honestly don't care
about the medals.
From Wednesday night, if I had to pick out a couple of
things, it would be the memory of lifting the manager up on
our shoulders and of Roy Keane coming through at the end to
take his place with us. That was important. The fans love
Keano and the players know how much he has contributed to
our success this season.
It was a night when everything was perfect. I had been
looking up at our fans, 45,000 of them or however many there
were, and just thinking how amazing it would be if I could
just see them celebrating a goal.
I know some of them had spent an awful lot of money getting
to Barcelona and paying for their tickets, but the feelings
that those people had on Wednesday night - money can't buy
them