UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Manchester United's finest turn out for The Class of '92 premiere

Record ID: 221278

  • Title: UK: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Manchester United's finest turn out for The Class of '92 premiere
  • Date: 1st December 2013
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (DECEMBER 1, 2013) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) RED CARPET AT ODEON LEICESTER SQUARE FOR THE CLASS OF '92 PREMIERE THE CLASS OF '92 POSTER WIDE OF DAVID BECKHAM BEING INTERVIEWED VARIOUS DAVID BECKHAM RYAN GIGGS CLOSE OF GIGGS, PAN TO BECKHAM, PULL OUT TO THE CLASS OF '92 INCLUDING (L TO R) NICKY BUTT, BECKHAM, GIGGS., PHIL NEVILLE, GARY
  • Embargoed: 16th December 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8GH4P40TIWF96VJDLNSXU3LV5
  • Story Text: David Beckham and Ryan Giggs join fellow Manchester United stars on the red carpet for film premiere of The Class of '92

    The cream of one of Manchester United's most successfull youth teams gathered in London's west end on Sunday (December) for the premiere of a film celebrating their success.
    David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Gary Neville and his brother Phil are the stars of The Class of '92, which charts the rise of six friends who became part of United's golden generation and among the most famous soccer players in the world.
    When they first began playing for United as teenagers, few could have predicted that between them they would land countless trophies - including the European Cup - and play at World Cups and European Championships.
    And as well as excelling on the field, Beckham has forged a successful show business career as well, and is currently one of the most powerful brands on the planet.
    The Class of '92, directed by Ben and Gabe Turner, shows how the friendship between the six has remained firm, and Beckham described the film as "special".
    "It is emotional watching it," he told Reuters TV. "At the time when we are talking about it, it obviously brings back memories. It was more emotional watching the end, the final piece, Gabe Turner and his brother Ben did an incredible job with the actual making of it. He captured exactly what we wanted to bring across and it ended up being really special."
    Beckham added that it was the friendships within the squad that made his generation of players at United so successful.
    "I think just the togetherness we had," he explained. "We are all from different backgrounds, I'm from London they are all from Manchester. It was just the way we came together, how successful we were, how bonded we were, and how we got behind each other, it was a special time, the best in our careers I think."
    Beckham' sentiment was something that former team-mate Ryan Giggs, who is still playing at 40, agreed with.
    "We are really proud of what we have achieved, we are proud of each other, it was a great time for us coming together," said Giggs.
    "And that probably helped us because we were all mates off the pitch. We had different pressures at that time and we helped each other out. It was a special time, six of us coming through, more or less at the same time and staying in the team for so long and we are all Man Utd supporters which makes it even better."
    Gary Neville, who skippered United, said he hoped the film would encourage other clubs to invest in youth.
    "I hope there is a change of mentality and philosophy across English football and they realise it can't continue to go on as it is, where many, many clubs just want immediate success and don't let young people develop," he said. "But fortunately we were at a club with a manager who believed in that way and we believe in it wholeheartedly as a group because we were given that opportunity ourselves."
    The role that Sir Alex Ferguson had in nurturing talent at United was also underlined by midfielder Paul Scholes.
    "That's the only reason we are stood here today because of that, he came down from Aberdeen and he realised he wanted to get the youth system sorted out it wasn't as good as he thought it should be," he said of Ferguson, who retired at the end of last season.
    "He got Brian Kidd and Nobby Stiles coaching us and just to have people like that, famous people in the game, it was some people we looked up to and tried our best for."
    Given Beckham's celebrity ties, the premiere attracted many from outside the world of sport, including One Direction's Harry Styles, who grew up supporting Manchester United.
    "Well these were my team when I grew up," he told Reuters. "These were the ones I went and watched every weekend. They are incredible footballers and together they are just amazing. It is exciting, its a great, when they told my friend directed it and when they told me about the film I was really excited to see it and now I am going to be able to watch it so I am really excited."
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