Gary Neville says Champions League win in 1999 isn't the most important trophy in Man Utd's history

Manchester United's famous Champions League win in 1999 isn't the most important trophy in their modern history, according to Gary Neville.

The former United defender, who made 602 appearances for the Reds during a trophy-laden 19-year spell at Old Trafford, played a crucial role in that treble-winning season.

He also featured for Sir Alex Ferguson's side against Bayern Munich as stoppage time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sealed a famous 2-1 win.

But Neville believes the club's inaugural Premier League win in 1993 – a title that ended their 26-year wait for top-flight success – was the most important as it "unlocked doors" and changed everything.

United famously lifted the trophy with one of their greatest ever teams that featured the likes of Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs and, perhaps the biggest influence of all time; Eric Cantona.

Speaking on the most recent episode of Stick to Football, a podcast brought to you by Sky Bet, Neville began: “We were talking about Marcus Rashford last week, about having that right group of people around him.

"You can’t do the things that your friends are doing, so if you’re influenced by your friends, there is that element of, ‘Oh go on then,’ and that ‘Go on then’ would have done me.

"I never went out in the first five or six years of my career at [Manchester] United, I don’t think I could have done. To me, it was work ethic and love for the club, I listened, trained, and wanted to do well. These are the things at are the biggest factor [in becoming a professional footballer player].

“Another thing, the club [Manchester United] at the time, the manager wanted to bring young players through, and the big thing was the night in Blackburn [Manchester United beat Blackburn Rovers in the penultimate game of the season in 1992], which I think changed the whole club."

Image credit: Getty

Neville added: "We won the league for the first time, against Blackburn, that night was the best night in Manchester United modern history, it changed the whole club forever.

"People ask me what the most important trophy is, that is the most important trophy, it unlocked the doors. We won the youth cup, and we had belief that we were coming into a machine of a club, we were coming into a dressing room that was stable, confident, winning, and that changed everything.

"The club was made for us at that time.”