Collecting Manchester United, one decade at a time

Manchester United’s history is so long and so full of stars that collectors often find it easiest to work through it decade by decade.

Here is a guide to where the best stories sit, and why each period still matters to supporters.

The 1960s: Best, Law and Charlton

George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton formed one of the most celebrated attacking trios English football has seen, and each of them won the Ballon d’Or.

United won the European Cup at Wembley in 1968, beating Benfica 4-1 after extra time, and anything connected to that side is treasured.

Best’s own award came in 1968, the same year as the Wembley win.

The 1990s: Cantona and the Class of 92

Eric Cantona arrived in 1992 and gave the club a swagger it had not had for years, and a group of homegrown players including David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville grew up around him.

Most of that group came through the youth ranks together, which is why their names are so often mentioned as a unit.

Sir Alex Ferguson built the team that dominated the decade, and he went on to win 13 Premier League titles.

For a generation of fans, these are the players who defined childhood Saturdays.

1999: the treble

United became the first English club to win the league, FA Cup and Champions League in a single season.

In the final in Barcelona, they scored twice in stoppage time to beat Bayern Munich, with goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

It is still the match most United supporters name first.

2008: Moscow

United beat Chelsea on penalties in the Champions League final in Moscow, completing a double with the Premier League title.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring and Edwin van der Sar saved the decisive penalty.

Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs were also part of that squad, and shirts from that season link to one of the club’s most recent European triumphs.

Choosing where to start

Collectors tend to build around a single moment or a single player.

If you are starting out, one signature from a defining season is a sound first step, and a multi-signed shirt can come later once you know what you enjoy most.

Choosing how to display it

Once you have chosen the player, think about presentation.

Firma Stella offers framing in three styles, premium, hero and classic, so the finished piece can match the room it hangs in.

A framed shirt protects the signature and turns it into something you can display straight away.

Whichever decade you choose, pick the player you remember best.

You can see the range of Manchester United signed shirts at Firma Stella.