It was this close connection that forged the Irish roots in the club. They were the first English club — know as Newton Heath at the time — to sign an Irish professional footballer. John Peden, who was brought from Linfield in 1893, played as an outside left. As the club developed into Manchester United, it faced numerous problems in relation to debt, relegation and possible liquidation. The support of John Henry Davies, who had Irish roots, ensured the survival of the club. In the post war-period, when the club was without a ground, new manager Matt Busby built the team around its dependable captain, Johnny Carey. He helped secure the team its first trophies in almost 30 years with the FA Cup in 1948 and the First Division title in 1952. He was the first ever Irish man to captain an English side to either trophy.

However, United have excited Irish football fans like no other team. It has been a close relationship long in the making. Moreover, these deep links between club and country can be attributed to much more than mere football. Manchester became the home to many Irish families in the early part of the 19th century, and it is now believed that up to a third of the city’s current population is of Irish descent. Some of Manchester's most famous personalities would have Irish roots.

Of course United are not the only Premier league club followed closely in Ireland. With Liverpool, they’re among the top two supported clubs in the country. Then there’s Chelsea, followed by Arsenal, and fellow London club Tottenham. Championship outfit Leeds, who saw great success down the years, also have their fair share of popularity.

The supporters’ branch meet every Monday in The Teachers Club — 36 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1. In July, they carried out a fundraiser for the victims and families affected by the Manchester Bombings with proceeds, amounting to €5,600, going to the British Red Cross.

“It has the place buzzing,” says Louise Berney, membership secretary of the Manchester United Supporters’ Club (MUSC) in Dublin. “Everyone wants to go, and why not when the best club in the world is on our doorstep for the night… A lot of people are also using the game to bring their children to their first game.”

It’s only the second time United will have played at the Aviva Stadium, which opened seven years ago, built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road stadium. In that period of time, they have played in foreign territories across the globe, whilst other teams have played there more recently. Jose Mourinho's star-studded outfit are full of confidence about the year ahead, and for many this will be their first chance to see them in the flesh.

Busby believed in the talents of younger players, and Liam Whelan, also known as Billy, had a significant influence at United that ultimately went way beyond the pitch. He was one of the most innately talented of the Babes. “I always wanted to be the best in the world,” Bobby Charlton once said,” but knew I wouldn’t be as long as Billy Whelan was around.” Matt Busby would talk about these two players in 1956-57 and suggest they were going to be as good as Real Madrid legends Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano.

Sadly, Busby would never get to see Charlton and Whelan play together in their prime. On February 6 1958, the Munich disaster occurred and 23 people lost their lives. Eight of the departed were United players — including Whelan, the only non-English player. Goalkeeper, Harry Gregg, emerged as a hero for helping injured passengers out of the wreckage, thus saving their lives.

When Busby set out to rebuild United, he would do so with an Irish core. Shay Brennan started and scored in the emotional first game after the Munich disaster, a 3-0 FA Cup win over Sheffield Wednesday. Shortly after, Johnny Giles and Joe Carolan would join the first team. Over the course of 10-years, Brennan and Tony Dunne would form the full-back duo in the United team that won the European Cup in 1968. A new exciting team was beginning to develop.

Yet, none of those came close to the talent of George Best. The Belfast boy added romance and glamour to the Busby Babes. He was the star, the talent, the icon. The best.

Every man wanted to be him and every woman wanted to have him. Best was discovered at 15 years of age in Belfast by United scout Bob Bishop who supposedly sent a telegram to Busby stating: “I think you’ve found a genius.”

Best would go on to become part of the United trinity that would also include Charlton and Law. Perched on the frontage of Old Trafford’s East Stand, Busby has the prime location to savour the bronze immortality of three of his finest players.

The ‘60s gave way for the ‘70s and when the media’s influence on British football clubs increased, so did the popularity. During many of those years, United finished seasons empty-handed but were still superior through breeding. More than any other team there was a romance about United — since the Munich disaster, Matt Busby and his babes, George Best, Denis Law et all. Names such as Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath, Sammy McIlroy, Jimmy Nichol and the match winner of the 1985 FA Cup final, Norman Whiteside wrote their names on the proud list of players gone before them.

Fast forward to the nineties and a young snarling Corkonian who left Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest to work with Alex Ferguson. Keane would go on to become United’s most decorated captain in its history after spearheading the club into a rare uncharted territory. From the mangled turf throughout Cork, where Keane spent his childhood, there is a trail of anecdotes, early glories and myths. He was joined in the side by the solid and reliable Dennis Irwin, who Ferguson claimed to be one of his best ever signings.

The club has always had some degree of representation of Irish heritage around it. Busby had Irish blood. His grandfather, Jimmy Greer, emigrated to Scotland from Ireland for employment. Such connection between Ireland and United — be it players or coaching staff — has always been there. You might look at the current squad and ask where the Irish link has been since Roy Keane, John O’Shea or Robbie Brady, but Kieran O’Hara from the club’s U21 side is keeping hold of the patriotic tradition. And, who knows what would have happened had Seamus Coleman not suffered such a serious injury while on international duty this year? The Republic of Ireland captain was strongly linked with a switch to Old Trafford.

As the statue of George Best stands to greet supporters coming down Matt Busby way, it is a reminder of a close affiliation. It fills Irishmen with pride to see one of their own made into a statue outside a stadium belonging to the biggest football club in the world. The Irish connection has been celebrated throughout the club’s history; lifted from lows to highs, ecstasy and shattered beliefs.

Ireland is Manchester United’s home from home, and on Wednesday night in Dublin, the locals get to cheer on their heroes in their homeland. There’s something romantic about that.