Peter Schmeichel Names Forgotten Man Utd Icon as Most Underrated Premier League Player
Peter Schmeichel has never been short of an opinion or two, and when the former Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper makes a bold claim, it tends to be worth listening to. Appearing on The Good, The Bad and The Football podcast alongside Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness, Schmeichel didn't hold back when the conversation turned to one player who saved his best for match day rather than the training ground, and was the Dane's pick for the Premier League's most underrated player.
"He is the most underrated Premier League player ever, I don't think people realise how good he was."
The player in question is Brian McClair, known to everyone at Old Trafford simply as Choccy, for how his name sounds like Chocolate Eclair. Both Scholes and Butt were quick to agree with their former teammate's assessment and share training anecdotes.
Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt Share Training Ground Stories
Both Scholes and Butt recalled a player who seemed far more interested in causing mischief than putting in the hard yards during the week, and whose idea of a good session involved targeting his teammates with volleyed balls at close range. "Choccy's main aim in training was he wanted to volley the ball at someone's chest or head," Butt recalled. "He'd just stand there and laugh."
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It is the kind of detail that makes McClair sound more like a Saturday morning park player than a professional footballer. And yet, when matchday arrived, the transformation was immediate. The same man who spent the week giggling at his teammates' discomfort would become one of the most reliable and intelligent players in the United squad, a fact that those who played alongside him clearly never forgot.
McClair's Numbers Speak For Themselves
McClair spent eleven years at Manchester United, making 471 appearances and scoring 127 goals in all competitions. He was a central figure in one of the most successful periods in the club's history, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the League Cup during his time at Old Trafford. In his first season after joining from Celtic in 1987, he became the first United player since George Best to score more than 20 league goals in a single campaign.
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For a player with those numbers and that trophy haul, the argument that he remains underappreciated is a hard one to dismiss. Schmeichel, Scholes and Butt were there. They saw it every day. And if three of the most decorated players in Manchester United’s history are telling you Brian McClair deserves more credit, it’s got some serious standing.
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 19-05-26.
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