After securing consecutive Premier League titles in 1996 and 1997, Manchester United must have been bitterly disappointed to miss out on a third successive crown in 1998 by just one point. The Red Devils had claimed four of the first five Premier League titles, winning two either side of Blackburn Rovers' 1995 triumph.
Under Sir Kenny Dalglish's management, Blackburn beat United to the top spot by a single point, mirroring Arsenal's victory over United in 1998. The 1997/98 season saw United claim only the Community Shield, exiting the FA Cup at the fifth round, the League Cup at the third round, and the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.
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In the summer of 1998, United needed a strategy to reclaim the Premier League title and strengthen their European standing. Sir Alex Ferguson believed that investing in the transfer market would bolster his squad.
Jaap Stam was the first significant signing of the summer, joining from PSV Eindhoven to reinforce the defence. Shortly after, Trinidad and Tobago international Dwight Yorke was signed from Aston Villa for over £12.5million, just two days before their second Premier League match of the season.
Yorke had made a name for himself as one of the Premier League's most consistent goalscorers, netting 46 times in the three Premier League seasons before his move to Old Trafford. He scored 17 goals each in the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons, and added another 12 in 1997/98.
United saw Yorke as the missing piece in their pursuit of the Premier League title. The now-53-year-old quickly found his stride in Manchester, scoring twice on his home debut in a 4-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.
undefined (Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images.)
Those two goals were the start of 29 that Yorke would score in his first season at United - with 18 of them coming in the Premier League. His goals helped United reclaim the Premier League title, edging out Arsenal by just one point.
A third of Yorke's 18 league goals that season directly earned United 11 points. Without them, they would have ended up fourth.
In addition to his 18 goals that helped United win back the Premier League crown, the striker, who spent four years at United, also scored eight goals in the club's Champions League triumph, and bagged three in their FA Cup win. To say United got value for money would be an understatement.
Yorke finished the season as the club's top scorer, netting five more than his closest competitor, Andy Cole.
After a phenomenal first season at Old Trafford, where he played a crucial role in United's historic Treble win, Ferguson urged Yorke to surpass his tally of 29 goals from the 1998/99 season. However, Yorke fell short of Ferguson's expectations, scoring 26 goals the following season, prompting a response that was typical of the demanding manager.
"In the first season I scored 29 goals, in the second year I scored 26, and the gaffer said to me 'you're a failure'," Yorke reminisced. "I was top scorer again and we won the Premier League, but he said I was a failure.
"But you look back and I get where he was coming from. This is where you need to push yourself even further by getting more than 29.
"You look at [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo and that's the kind of levels he's trying to push you to, but I didn't see it then. Finishing as the top scorer with 26 goals was very rewarding for me, but the gaffer wasn't too pleased."
Yorke then scored 14 goals from 22 starts in his third season, which, although a decent return, still didn't meet Ferguson's lofty expectations.
"That wasn't good enough at United. That was the level the manager was demanding of you and I get it now."
United had a remarkable season in 1999/2000, winning the Premier League title with ease. They secured 28 victories out of 38 matches, accumulating 91 points to finish 18 points clear of second-placed Arsenal.
Dwight Yorke, the Trinidad and Tobago icon, has candidly expressed his feelings about his time at Manchester United, revealing a mix of pride and frustration. Despite being the team's top scorer with 20 goals in 32 league games, Yorke felt he could have added even more to his tally.
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"I should have scored more goals," he admitted. "I was disappointed I only scored 29 goals, even though that was unbelievable in my first year."
The striker also shared his grievances about Sir Alex Ferguson's management decisions: "I think the manager robbed me of a few games when I felt I should have played and could have scored goals!
"He substituted me when I was on the verge of scoring a hat-trick. I was on two goals and he takes me off to have a rest! You look back and think 'bloody hell, gaffer, you robbed me of a few goals over the years'."
Yorke's subsequent seasons at United saw a decline in his goal-scoring feats, culminating in a final season with just one goal. In July 2002, this led to his transfer to Blackburn Rovers, followed by stints at Birmingham City, Sydney FC, and Sunderland.
Although his career may have waned towards the end, his role in United's historic 1998/99 Treble-winning season remains etched in the annals of the club's history.
