Even now, 20 years on, the memory of Tony Adams and Lee Dixon standing outside the Manchester United dressing room, waiting to congratulate the team that had just vanquished their Arsenal side in one of the truly great FA Cup ties remains vivid for Gary Neville.

Even in the immediate aftermath of a painful defeat that ended their hopes of retaining the Cup and, with it, killed Arsenal’s aspirations of a “double double”, Adams and Dixon recognised that they had been part of something very special and that will always resonate with Neville. “That is the one big thing that stands out for me,” the former United right back reflected. “I remember thinking, ‘Bloody hell, they are proper guys these two. Well done to them to do that’.

“Because remember they had won the double the year before and we were still neck and neck in the league at that point. So that is the one thing that stands out.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, now United’s caretaker manager who will be hoping to overcome Arsenal in the Cup once again on Friday night, suggested this week that the North London club would have gone on to win the double that season, and shattered United’s treble dream, but for Peter Schmeichel saving Dennis Bergkamp’s penalty in the last minute of normal time of that unforgettable semi-final replay at Villa Park.