Sir Alex Ferguson named the trio of Manchester United players he feels didn't get the credit they deserved during his legendary reign at Old Trafford. The iconic manager, who lifted an astonishing 49 trophies with the Red Devils, singled out Brian McClair, Park Ji-sung and Ronny Johnsen as the most underrated stars he managed.
In a candid chat with Gary Neville for SportBible, Sir Alex couldn't separate the three when pressed on who he thought was the unsung hero of his tenure. "There's three players, I can't split them. Brian McClair, Park Ji-sung and Ronny Johnsen," he revealed. The 83-year-old also expressed regret over not utilising Park Ji-sung more effectively in the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona.
"When I watch the final against Barcelona at Wembley, I should have changed at half-time and put Park Ji-sung on Messi," he admitted to Neville. "That was a mistake. I realised after 10 minutes and I was going to do it at half-time but I said, 'we just equalised before half-time, they might see the game differently and we may grow into the game better'.
"We're actually quite good in the last 10 minutes of that game and we could have been in front. But if I had played Park Ji-sung against Messi, I think we would have beat them."
All three players continue to be revered by fans for their contributions to Manchester United's success, as we explore what these cult heroes have been up to since hanging up their boots.
Brian McClair
Former Manchester United forward Brian McClair has revealed that his dramatic post-retirement transformation often leaves fans baffled. The ex-Scotland international, who played under Sir Alex Ferguson for 11 years, now sports a bushy grey beard and long hair, a stark contrast to his clean-shaven playing days.
McClair, now 61 and the host of the 'Life With Brian' podcast, shared amusing anecdotes about being unrecognised: "It happens an awful lot more than I ever imagined it would, particularly the fact I'm covered in this lovely grey stuff that's growing out of my face. It's entertaining listening. Sometimes I've been in situations where my name has cropped up and they've no idea it's me, which is pretty bizarre."
He added with a chuckle: "What I tend to say now when they ask if I'm Brian McClair is 'I used to be', which is quite flummoxing for a lot of people. 'How can you used to be? Who are you now? What are you now?'"
Ronny Johnsen
Meanwhile, Ronny Johnsen, another former Red Devil, looks back on a trophy-laden career at Old Trafford, where he clinched three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. The versatile Norwegian, capable of playing both in defence and midfield, was a key player in Ferguson's squad during his five seasons with the club.
After his departure from United in 2002, he had brief spells at Aston Villa and Newcastle before hanging up his boots in 2008 after a three-year stint with Valerenga in his homeland of Norway. Choosing to pursue his coaching badges, the 55-year-old was named head coach of Eik Tonsberg, a team in Norway's second-tier football league.
He only spent a year at the club before being appointed as assistant coach for the Norwegian women's under-23s in 2023. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Johnsen has also dabbled in media, working as a pundit and analyst for United games on Norwegian broadcaster TV2.
Park Ji-sung
During his seven years in Manchester, Park Ji-sung became the most decorated Asian player in history, boasting four league titles, a Champions League trophy, and four League Cups. The ex-South Korea international played just two more seasons before retiring, featuring for Queens Park Rangers and then returning to his old club PSV Eindhoven for the 2013/14 season.
Like Johnsen, he chose to earn his coaching badges and took over QPR's Under-16 side as part of his B license coaching course. After leaving the west London club, Park took up a role as technical director at K League 1 team Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2022.
His actions at the club included bringing in former Chelsea ace Dan Petrescu as manager, but the Romanian's tenure was short-lived as he stepped down mid-season. Park transitioned into an advisory role at the club, which then chose another Chelsea ex-star, Gus Poyet, as manager last year.