The Soccerex Global Convention 2014 will be closing with a real treat for all football fans, following the confirmation that former Manchester United stars of Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt will come together for a special “Class of 92” panel as the final session of this year’s event – 6-10 September, Manchester.

Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, the trio all enjoyed hugely successful playing careers at Manchester United starting with a FA Youth Cup victory in 1992 building up to a Champions League triumph in 1999 which rounded off the treble-winning 1998-99 season.  The “Class of 92”, which also includes Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Gary Neville, set a benchmark for the club; a special group of players that were able to pull off one of the most incredible achievements a football club in England has ever seen.

Emerging from the successful United youth side, the group were granted their opportunity in the senior side at the start of the 1995-1996, following the departure of United stalwarts Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis. An opening day defeat resulted in Alan Hansen’s famous remark that “you can’t win anything kids”. The group went on to emphatically disprove this by winning the league that season and going on to form the cornerstone of the United’s immense success over the next 15 years.

In discussion with David Davies, Ryan, Phil and Nicky will share their insight into their football education at Manchester United. The session will uncover their personal experiences of growing up together, the pressures of replacing established stars and exploring the transition of success at youth level to world domination, whilst remaining close friends off the pitch. Their involvement with Salford City FC, a semi professional local club close to their hearts, demonstrates their interest in the business behind the game. The focus is to propel the club to the next level with ambitions of progressing into The Football League.

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “We are extremely excited to welcome Ryan, Phil and Nicky to the Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester. The trio are part of a special group of players that will forever be part of Manchester United and British football folklore. Their session will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the event and a fitting way to close this year’s Global Convention in Manchester.”

The Soccerex Global Convention kicks off with the Football Festival on 6-7th September, with the conference starting on Monday 8th September. A packed international exhibition and a programme of networking and social events complete the schedule for what is widely acknowledged as the world’s The session is one of a series of headline Conference panels addressing the most pressing topics in world football, including commercial club strategies, financial and legal governance, fan experience and league development. Speakers confirmed for the event include FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, RFU CEO, Ian Ritchie, Olympic legend, Michael Johnson, Sky Sports MD, Barney Francis, Liverpool CEO, Ian Ayre and many more.