Dwight Yorke named himself as one of three players from Manchester United's historic 1998/99 season who would fetch a British-record sum in today's transfer market.
The Red Devils famously lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League 24 years ago, making them the only English team to achieve the feat. Yorke moved to Old Trafford in an acrimonious £13million transfer from Aston Villa in the summer of 1998 and played a vital role in the treble triumph.
The former Trinidad and Tobago striker scored 18 goals in the top flight, three in the FA Cup and eight in the Champions League that season, including a vital equaliser in the semi-final second leg against Juventus. His striker partner, Andy Cole, and fellow Old Trafford icon David Beckham made similarly profound impacts, registering 35 goals between them.
Yorke believes that he and his former teammates would fetch nine-figure sums if they were on the market today. He pointed to Chelsea's record £106million transfer to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in January to make his point.
"I like to think I'd be worth more than Enzo Fernandez in today's market," Yorke told OLBG. "Andy Cole, David Beckham and I were goal scorers, creators, fast and all the ingredients in a player that you would want. It's easy to say that, but when I watch football nowadays and see how much players are sold for, I can't help but think about what I would be worth. I like to think that I would be up there with the biggest transfers, Becks and Cole would be the same."
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United's treble delight was the pinnacle of Sir Alex Ferguson's glittering career in the Old Trafford hot seat. After the Scot's retirement in 2013, the Red Devils endured a sharp decline and they are in the midst of a six-year trophy drought.
Their wait for silverware could end this season, however, as Erik ten Hag is overseeing a Red Devils revival. United will claim their first trophy since the Europa League in 2017 if they defeat Newcastle in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.
Elsewhere, United can reach the Europa League last 16 with victory over Barcelona in the second leg of their play-off on Thursday night, while they are in action in the FA Cup fifth round against West Ham next Wednesday.
For the first time in many years, United are also firmly in the title race heading into the run-in. Ten Hag's side are five points behind league-leaders Arsenal, albeit having played one game more, and regardless of what happens during the business end of the season, they appear destined to vastly improve on last season's sixth-place finish.
