Twenty years today Manchester United achieved the impossible dream, winning an unprecedented treble. On the 16th May 1999, on beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 with goals from David Beckham and Andy Cole cancelling Les Ferdinand’s opener, United secured the Premier League title; the clubs twelfth league title, their fifth Premier League title.

Six days later, United beat Newcastle United 2-0 with goals from Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham to lift the FA Cup for the tenth time in the clubs history, completing a domestic league and cup double; the third time in the clubs history (1993/94 and 1995/96) but this one could turn into an unprecedented treble – the first time an English club had done so.

Manchester United:

Schmeichel;

G. Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin;

Beckham, Butt, Scholes, Blomqvist;

Yorke, Cole

Substitutes:

Pilkington, Van der Gouw; Berg, Brown, May, Silvestre; Greening, Poborsky; Saha, Sheringham, Solskjaer

This match will mark the final match of the treble winning season; the 1999 UEFA Champions League final. It was played on the 26 May 1999 at the Nou Camp in Barcelona. United ended up beating Bayern Munich 2-1, conceding a goal which was scored by Mario Basler in the sixth minute after United gave away a free-kick. The German side could have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled their lead in the match.

In stoppage time, United won a corner one minute into added time. David Beckham took it, poked the ball into the box with Ryan Giggs getting a touch on the ball and Teddy Sheringham slotting home. Name on the trophy. United seemed set for extra time. However, that is not what happened.

United won another corner three minutes into stoppage time. Again Beckham took the set-piece. Beckham, into Sheringham, and Solskjaer has won it. Manchester United had reached the promised land. Football, bloody hell. And there it was, the treble was complete. This was a great ten days in May back in 1999, twenty years ago and it still feels like yesterday.