Dwight Yorke has said there is ‘no chance’ Erling Haaland would have got into the Manchester United treble-winning team of 1999, due to the brilliant partnership he had with Andy Cole. Haaland has been in sensational form since joining Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund last summer, scoring 35 times in the Premier League and 51 goals in all competitions. However, Yorke believes that the chemistry between him and Cole would have been disrupted if Haaland was included, and that the only current Manchester City player who could have made the team is Kevin De Bruyne.
Yorke said: ‘If there is anyone who has a really good chance to get in our 1999 treble side, then it’s Kevin De Bruyne. You can’t ignore what a quality player he is, but you have to figure out where he would start. But he’s the only one, even as great as Erling Haaland is, we had a certain way to play up front. It’s not about who can score more goals but about the style of the team and how it won the treble. I wouldn’t say we lacked De Bruyne’s qualities in the team because we had Paul Scholes, but he does have this deceptive explosiveness that I like. Haaland would not get into our team with the way we played, no chance. Why would you want to disrupt the link-up play me and Andy Cole had? Haaland may get 50 goals by himself but me and Cole got that combined with an added chemistry.’
In that iconic 1998-99 season Yorke scored 29 goals in all competitions and Cole managed 24 as they won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.