Irwin remembers United debut 30 years on

The Irishman, who made 529 appearances for the Reds during a 12-year stint, signed from Oldham Athletic in the summer of 1990, and made his debut against Liverpool in the Charity Shield at Wembley.

The game finished 1-1 – meaning the trophy was shared, as was then the custom – and, for Irwin, it was the start of a beautiful spell in Manchester, which would see him claim seven Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup and, of course, the 1999 Champions League.

“I’d played a few pre-season games, ironically enough back in Ireland, in my hometown of Cork,” remembered the former defender. “But it was my first big game for Manchester United. I think they got a bit of a dodgy penalty in…