"I’ve had some very proud moments in my career, but to see the likes of Beckham, Scholes, Butt, the Neville brothers and Giggsy line up for their countries is a wonderful feeling and it makes me very, very proud. To be honest though, I always felt they’d reach this stage. When they got to about seventeen years of age, I sat them all down individually and told them they’d play in Manchester United’s first team. I think that was a great confidence builder for them and they’ve all gone forward and performed magnificently.
"Without wanting to single any of them out, I think in terms of attacking play, Gary Neville enjoyed his best season for United last season. That isn’t just because he scored two goals; his attacking play improved all round. He was a bit limited in that area to begin with, but he’s become a much better attacking full-back. He’s a great defender with a fantastic knowledge of the game who always gives absolutely everything.
"They’ve all got vast experience now and if you play regularly for United, you’re going to eventually play international football. So it’s not unexpected to see them doing that, and, as a group of players, I think they can only get better."
"For me, the biggest aspects in becoming a footballer are desire and dedication. Obviously, players have got to have good technical ability, but the two D’s are the most important ingredients for me. If a player hasn't got those, in my opinion, they’re not going to do it, especially not at this club. You've got to be some player to play for United year after year, because the expectations are so great here and we're the team everyone loves to hate. So you’ve got to have a lot of courage physically and mentally.
"Bringing young players through is part of the culture of Manchester United and the manager’s looking to do that again. Darren Fletcher’s done ever so well and I think he’s got a big future ahead of him, while watching Cristiano Ronaldo flying down the wing is a wonderful sight. Wes Brown got some very unfair criticism after returning from injury last season, but he came through it and towards the end of the campaign I thought he was playing well enough to be in England's Euro 2004 squad. John O'Shea probably didn't do as well as he did in his first year, but your second season is always the hardest. He’ll be fine though and I'm sure the likes of Ronaldo, David Bellion and Kleberson will really fulfil their promise next season as well."
A Youthful Future
"Obviously the United supporters want to see the big signings, but they also want to see the kids from the club’s youth policy coming through. I remember the manager saying three or four years ago that the youngsters are the heartbeat of the club and he’s right. That's why we place great emphasis of bringing players through. We’re proud of what we’ve done in the past and we’ve got to keep that tradition going."