We Won The European Cup, Remember? - Player Reaction

With the departure of Carlos Queiroz as well as the constant talk linking Ronaldo away from United, the fact United have just enjoyed the second most successful season in the club’s entire history has been overshadowed.

It’s important that we strive against this though, making sure our great season is remembered. I have no doubt that this won’t be a problem once the season starts, with every league and Champions League game we play in seeing us referred to as ‘the Champions’.

Still, we’ve got a few weeks until the season starts, so it’s time to do a bit of reminding!

GC: Edwin, what a moment.
EVDS: Fuckin ell… fuckin ell, sorry.
GC: Please.
EVDS: I was here twelve years ago and I lost it on penalties. And we’ve won it now, so, it’s unbelievable.

GC: Ryan, a winner in 99, but tonight?
RG: Well, I can enjoy it a bit more. In 99, well, you think it’s going to come around again. But tonight, it’s brilliant. We deserve it. We’ve been the best team.
GC: Do you think you deserved it over tonight’s game though?
RG: Yeh. We both had chances. No one put them away. You know, credit to Edwin, he come good in the end. Brilliant.
GC: What has brought you through tonight? Chelsea did look physically stronger in the second half.
RG: I think first half we dominated. Second half, they had their chances, but we held our nerve in the end. You just remember these nights, the best nights of your life.
GC: Is there a sense of fate about this as well? When you look at 58, when you look at 68.
RG: Well we look back to the City game and we were all disappointed. Ultimately, this has made up for it, I’m sure it has.
GC: One of the ironies tonight of course is Ronaldo, so often one of your match winners this season, your hero this season so often, misses a penalty.
RG: Yeh, but he scores a goal, he scores a goal, which he deserves. He’s been the best player in Europe.

Rio, what was that like out there?
RF: It’s nerve racking… all the fans… it’s such a difficult place. It’s a difficult place to come to. My mates have been coming here and it’s so hard. But look at the fans, they’ve travelled all this way and got what they deserved.
How do you feel now knowing that you are going up as captain to lift the Champions League trophy?
RF: This is the stuff you dream about. Everybody talks about how good it is to be footballer and these are the times that you play for. I can’t speak, seriously. I have to go and enjoy it.