Exclusive: Wes Brown recounts Manchester United's treble season - ‘I thought it would be like that every year’
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Updated 05/01/2024 at 17:15 GMT
Wes Brown talked through two stellar nights in his career, winning the Champions League for Manchester United in 1999 and 2008, as part of TNT Sports' new programme called Sign Up - Into Football. Co-presented by Damaris Cooke and Rolf Choutan, the show looks to showcase British Sign Language and raise awareness of the deaf community by talking to some of the sport's biggest names.
MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 21: Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United celebrate after winning the UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Luzhniki Stadium on May 21 2008 in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Ma
Image credit: Getty Images
Wes Brown has recounted a historic night at the Camp Nou when Manchester United completed the treble in 1999, as part of a new TNT Sports' programme called Sign Up - Into Football.
The show, co-presented by Damaris Cooke and Rolf Choutan, is aimed at raising the profile of the deaf community and the visibility of British Sign Language, talking with influential figures to relive some of the sport’s most iconic moments.
The spoke to the former United defender and England international, Brown, who broke into the team in arguably the greatest season in the club’s history.
“I was 19 in my first season. We'd just won the Premier League, the FA Cup and were in the final of the Champions League,” he explained.
“I didn't play, but it was possibly the craziest night of my life, given we became the first British team to do the treble.
“I actually thought it would be like that every year if I'm being honest! But you soon find out that it's not the case.
“And as you get older, you really try to think back and remember everything, because it was such a great time and we had a great team as well.”
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MOSCOW, RUSSIA - MAY 21: Carlos Tevez, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Ryan Giggs and Mikael Silvestre of Manchester United celebrate with the trophy after winning the UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at Luzhniki Stadium o
Image credit: Getty Images
Brown played a bigger role nine years later to win the trophy for a second time – an all-English affair against Chelsea, which saw the Red Devils win 6-5 on penalties with the score level at 1-1 after extra time in Moscow.
The defender helped United get off to a perfect start on a wet evening in the Russian capital, setting up Cristiano Ronaldo to power home a header past Petr Cech.
Frank Lampard equalised for the Blues, but the game will be remembered for John Terry’s slip in the penalty shootout as United prevailed to win a third European Cup.
Despite his telling contribution, Brown admitted that the success in 1999 ultimately has the edge over 2008.
“Obviously, I was very young in 1999, and even though I didn't play in the final, that still tops it a little bit as it was my first experience of winning anything at that sort of level.
“But 2008 is still special, and by then I had established myself into the team. And then to get the assist is nice for me, I suppose.”
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Edwin van der Sar, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher of Manchester United celebrate at the final whistle the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final second leg match between Manchester United and Barcel
Image credit: Getty Images
The Red Devils completed a Premier League and Champions League double in that 2007-08 season, but an FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth ensured they fell short of replicating the achievement from 1998-99.
United reached the Champions League final again a year later, where they lost to 2-0 to Barcelona in the final played in Rome, and Brown believes that team should have won even more silverware for their efforts.
“When we do get together, we [Brown and his former team-mates] still talk about how we probably should have done even more with that squad we had.
“But again, those are two phenomenal squads that could possibly beat anyone - even to this day.
“So, I've got to be happy with that, because I was probably in three or four unbelievable squads that the manager put together.”
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