When Roy Keane arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 1993, he did so with pressure on his shoulders.
Not only had he been recruited by Sir Alex Ferguson to be a long-term replacement for Bryan Robson - a real favourite of the supporters - but the £3.75m that United had paid Nottingham Forest for his services was a record fee in Britain.
The Republic of Ireland international was flung straight into the starting lineup by his new manager and he showed glimpses of his ability in wins over Arsenal in the Charity Shield and then Norwich City at Carrow Road.
However, it was his first outing as a United player at Old Trafford where he displayed the sort of ability that left the home fans believing that he could indeed fill the void that was soon to be left by an ageing Robson.
Playing in a midfield that included Robson and Paul Ince, Keane was given the instruction to get forward whenever possible and support lone striker Mark Hughes.
He followed that order to the letter, guiding the ball beyond the reach of Alan Kelly in the Sheffield United net with just 16 minutes on the clock. Keane then backed that up with his second of the evening shortly before half time to help ease the Red Devils to a 3-0 win.
The 22-year-old would go on to make 54 appearances in all competitions during the 1993-94 campaign, scoring eight goals in the process as United went on to claim a Premier League and FA Cup double.
Liam Apicella
