When it comes to the task of naming the world's top five biggest football clubs, it is nigh on impossible to leave Manchester United off the list.
Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, before changing its name to Manchester United in 1902, the club has evolved from playing against railway companies to being one of the most recognisable brands in the world, highlighted by its current tally of 29.8million Twitter followers.
Throughout its 144-year history (120 since becoming United), the club has developed and enjoyed moments of success unlike any other English club. From the days of the Busby Babes to the trophy-laden era of Sir Alex Ferguson, United have sewn themselves into the fabric of English football.
Although current fortunes may suggest otherwise, United have always been renowned for playing good, forward-thinking, entertaining and attacking football, capturing the hearts of people all over the world, particularly youngsters, even if not Manchester residents, who have wanted to spend their Saturday afternoons looking up to the likes of all-time greats such as George Best, Dennis Law, Sir Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. I could go on with more names but you get the idea.
I for one, despite not being a United supporter, must confess to having a fond memories of watching Carlos Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo on Match of the Day dismantle defences during my childhood, highlighting how easy it has been for the Reds to capture the attention of youngsters down the years.
The club is steeped in history and is lucky enough to have employed some of the greatest players the world, let alone England, has ever produced.
United, who have not shied away from developing their own talent down the years, have also been lucky enough to attract some of the most highly-decorated, respectable managers football has ever seen, least of all Ferguson.
In charge of United for 26 years from 1986 to 2013, the Scot, who recently turned 80, guided the club to 38 major trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, and that legacy will never be forgotten by anyone. There will never be another manager like him, not only for being able to win silverware so consistently over a prolonged period, but also for the respect he commanded from supporters of other clubs and players alike. Ferguson is, in some ways, the father of English football. He will never be bettered.
While Ferguson leads the way, other United managers of the past, such as the great Sir Matt Busby and perhaps even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho, albeit for different reasons, will always come up in conversation after a few minutes when United are the topic of discussion.
Blessed with brilliant players and managers down the years, it is only natural that United have built up an obsession for silverware down the years, even if that obsession, for now, needs rekindling. From Premier League titles to Champions League crowns, images of Steve Bruce, Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic and Rooney holding trophies aloft are imprinted on the brain, whether you are a United supporter or not.
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There is something about this club that gets you hooked and interested. After all, if you walked into a school playground and asked 30 children playing football which club they would like to play for when they grow up, you can almost guarantee that Manchester United would be the most popular answer.
It is that signifies United's place in English football. Yes, they may be widely despised by plenty of their rivals and sometimes frowned upon by supporters of other clubs for the money they have spent down the years, but what big-name club hasn't?
United are at the epicentre of English football and that is unlikely to ever change.
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