Brian McClair, Manchester United player

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Brian McClair was a Scottish striker and midfield player who made 471 appearances for Manchester United between 1987 and 1998.

McClair was born in Bellshill, Scotland, in 1963. After a brief stay at Aston Villa on leaving school, he spent two seasons at Motherwell and four at Celtic before joining Manchester United in 1987. In his final season at Celtic he scored thirty-five goals and won two ‘player of the year’ awards. In his first Manchester United season he scored a further thirty-one goals, which was a higher total than any United player had managed since George Best in 1967-1968. More goals followed in subsequent seasons as McClair formed a potent partnership with Mark Hughes. When Eric Cantona arrived in 1992, McClair made an effective transition to midfield. Able to play there, or up front, he remained a valuable and versatile member of the squad. In his later seasons he made a number of appearances as a substitute. In 1998, after eleven years at Manchester United, McClair had a final season back at Motherwell before retiring.

McClair was one of Alex Ferguson’s best signings. In his first six seasons at Old Trafford he hardly missed a game. He was an integral part of the team that, in the early 1990s, finally brought success back to Manchester United. He was an unobtrusive, yet highly effective player. He was extremely fit and possessed great stamina. He was thoroughly professional in his dedication to the game and the club and was a great example to the many talented young players coming to prominence at Manchester United during the 1990s. He returned to Old Trafford in retirement, managing the Reserves and the Under-19s before taking up his current post as Directory of the Youth Academy.

McClair played thirty times for Scotland between 1986 and 1993.