Manchester United is one of the most successful football clubs in England, but its worldwide success was built on the shoulders of footballing geniuses from Ireland and Scotland.

Sir Matt Busby’s 25-year reign as manager saw triumph borne out of tragedy. He survived the devastating Munich air crash in 1958, to rebuild the Manchester United team to become European champions ten years later. Denis Law arrived in England from Aberdeen as an awkward teenager, but a spectacular combination of elegance and menace turned him into a record goal scorer. Over the next decade, George Best, the introverted youngster from Belfast, would blossom into English football’s first superstar.

In 1977, Liverpool also looked north of the border and found Glaswegian striker Kenny Dalglish, who would become the undisputed King of the Kop. Dalglish spearheaded a Scottish and Irish dynasty at Liverpool, one that would dominate English football for the next decade.

At the same time, Arsenal would benefit from the influx of footballing talent from Ireland. Liam Brady, an elegant playmaker from Dublin, triumphed along with his many Irish teammates in one of the most exciting FA Cup finals ever in 1979.

In the early 1980s, Manchester United’s next prodigy was Norman Whiteside from Belfast, who as a young player ripped up the record books. Another genius at Manchester United was not to be found on the pitch but in the dug-out. Glaswegian Alex Ferguson became manager in 1986 and despite a difficult start, he would triumph, winning an unprecedented 13 Premier League titles and transforming Manchester United into a global superpower. Show less