Former Manchester United stars Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have claimed they find the label often attached to them, ‘Class of 92’, as cringeworthy.
The two players broke through the United youth system at the start of the 1990s, alongside other famous players of the time such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, winning the highly coveted Youth Cup that year.
The breakthrough of these players is widely seen as one of the club’s biggest achievements and is considered a significant factor in the club’s massive success in the following period.
There was a documentary on the subject in 2013 and their presence was once again highlighted in the Amazon Prime documentary entitled “99” which documented United’s run to the treble of that year.
Nonetheless, speaking on the Football’s Greatest Eras podcast, both Butt and Scholes admitted they feel uncomfortable with the title.
Scholes asked Butt if he had liked the name attached to the group of ‘The Class of 92′, he responded “No, I don’t like it’. Scholes agreed, revealing “I don’t like it now.”
Butt elaborated on the point and said, “I cringe when I hear it. But it is what it is. It’s what we’ve been known for since we all came through with Sir Alex Ferguson.”
“And yeah, it’s something that I do cringe about and it just becomes something probably bigger than it really was, if I’m honest with you.”
Scholes then claimed that he felt bad about the fact the title ignored the other “10 or 15 people” that were in the same year as they were, who had also contributed to the cup win.
Butt agreed and then stated that if it hadn’t been for the “older pros and the more experienced players there would’ve been no ‘Class of 92’ I’d say.”
He concluded by stating, “but yeah, a bit cringey for me, but it is what it is and that’s what we’re known for and embrace it, I would say.”
It is surprising that both men have such a negative attachment to the label as it is held dear by many United fans as a reminder of the type of greatness the club has been able to produce over the years in its famous youth academy.
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