Alex Stepney

Born :	18 Sep 1942
Signed :	01 Sep 1966
Debut :	17 Sept 1966 v Man City (H) League
Goals total :	2
Appearances total :	539
Position: :	Goalkeeper
Left United :	01 Jun 1978

Alex Stepney earned Old Trafford immortality the night Manchester United became European champions in 1968.
On that balmy May evening at Wembley, with United and Benfica drawing 1-1, Stepney held on to a ferocious shot from Eusebio to ensure the game would go into extra-time. The additional half-hour was illuminated by goals from George Best, Bobby Charlton and Brian Kidd, as the Reds run out 4-1 winners, but the importance of Stepney’s save was lost on no-one.

Stepney began his career as a trainee at Millwall, before moving to Chelsea for £52,000 in June 1966. After only three months at Stamford Bridge he made the switch

to Old Trafford, Sir Matt paying a then world-record fee for a goalkeeper of £55,000.

On his debut against Manchester City, he kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory and by the end of the season had won a League Championship medal to cap a wonderful first season. In fact, such was his contribution that Sir Matt Busby described signing him as “the single most important factor behind our championship in 1967.”