PETER SCHMEICHEL has revealed Manchester United's big Treble-winning secret weapon that nobody really knows about.
unleashed the untold truth behind that historic 1999 side on That Peter Crouch Podcast.
Just when you thought you couldn't find out anything more about United's best-ever season, in comes Schmeichel's behind-the-scenes confessions.
The legendary goalkeeper, now 61, said Man Utd – like all special teams – needed a bit of luck when they won the three biggest trophies in football in 1999.
While the tales are often dominated by last-gasp winner in the final, or ‘ extraordinary shirtless run through seven players in the , Schmeichel wanted to unearth a surprise unsung hero.
The Dane – whose son Kasper later made history of his own by winning the Prem with Leicester in 2016- identified club debutant as one of those ‘forgotten' men.
Schmeichel told Crouchy's podcast: “When Imentionsomebody like Dwight. I think Dwight played a much bigger role in the Treble than people will give him credit for.
“His influence in the dressing room and the way that he would come in every morning with that big smile.
“And sometimes entertain us with what he'd done the night before. He'd always bring that happiness into the dressing room.
“But then go on the pitch and score 30 plus goals!”
Schmeichel also revealed a more serious side to Yorke, who scored 29 goals in all competitions, including 18 in the Prem during his first United season.
The Red Devils had been riding their luck, after sneaking through the European group stage on goal difference and losing here and there.
And after committing a club sin by losing 3-2 to at in December, when Sir was at a funeral, new boy Yorke stepped in.
Schmeichel said: “That Boro game was the only time when the manager wasn't there. And we wereSObad.
“And in the dressing room after, we said that we weren't going to lose another game.
“And Dwight worked out that if we were to win the next 38 games, we'd had an unbelievable season.
“And all of a sudden you get to three games and you started to see it. It was so weird because it became a saying in the dressing room.”
He added: “We were really bad. But the thing is, because Ferguson wasn't there, that's why we were embarrassed.
“Because we were thinking ‘do we really need the manager here to win?' So everyone agreed ‘this is not good enough'.
“And we never lost a game after that.”
Dwight would entertain us with what he'd done the night before.
SchmeichelThat Peter Crouch Podcast
Schmeichel – who joined Man Utd in 1991 and left a few months after winning the – was singing praises about Ferguson's impeccable man-management and the incredible “trust” he installed into the entire squad.
But the Dane also revealed the defining moment where he doubted Ferguson's decision-making and truly believed the Scot was “losing it”.
He said: “The first time, whereI really thought the guy was losing it and not understanding what he was doing, was in the summer of 1995.
“When three players, who would start every game if they were fit, , and Andrei Kanchelskis left the club and no-one came in.
“And he puts five kids in the first team squad – he puts , Gary, Phil, Scholesy and Becks.
“Ryan was already in the first team dressing room, so he would've been the sixth.
“But you're thinking what's going on here? And of course, we open up with a defeat to at Villa Park.
“But the boys were great and I mainly thought it was strange that he didn't bring at least one player in during the summer.”
It seems Schmeichel inadvertently and initially agreed with great who famously uttered: “you can't win anything with kids” after that season opening defeat.
But, of course, Ferguson's young team – went onto win the Premier League and in 1995/1996.
And the iconic goalkeeper quickly overcame that hurdle because Ferguson made every player “trust themselves”.
Schmeichel won 15 major trophies with United, before spending two seasons with Sporting Lisbon and returning to the Prem with Aston Villa in 2001, where he played with Crouch.
He was later when he made 29 appearances for United's closest rivals Manchester City in 2001/2002.
