Manchester United’s trophy successes during Jose Mourinho’s first season at the helm will have left “quite a few teams jealous”, says Gary Pallister.
The Red Devils opened another new chapter in the summer of 2016, with the club turning to a third manager since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson slipped into retirement.
Mourinho was considered to be a safe bet, given his previous triumphs elsewhere, and the Portuguese duly delivered.
United were only able to finish sixth in the Premier League, but they secured Champions League qualification by winning the Europa League and also got their hands on Community Shield and EFL Cup prizes.
'Schmeichel to Utd would be a dream'
Reflecting on the campaign as a whole, former defender Pallister told the club’s official website: "Obviously winning three trophies was fantastic in itself but the carrot for everybody at the end of the season was getting back into the Champions League.
“It means so much to the club, not just financially but for the fans and players who want to be involved in the biggest competition in the world.
"It was hugely important we got there and we did it in great style out in Stockholm.
“The win over Ajax stopped a lot of these doubters out there who were saying it was a poor season because United finished sixth.
“Okay, we didn't qualify for the Champions League through our Premier League position but we qualified by winning a European trophy and we also won the League Cup, not to mention the Community Shield.
“All in all, quite a few teams will be jealous of Manchester United's season."
United are already working hard to ensure that their 2017-18 campaign is even more successful, with Pallister welcoming an early deal for Sweden international defender Victor Lindelof.
'Rashford wanted to be like Pirlo'
He added: "The great thing is, towards the end of the season, we got Chris Smalling fit and Phil Jones fit, so the manager had plenty of choices.
"Considering the injuries we had, we were really good as a team at being able to defend.
"Jose has always had his teams that know how to defend properly and it's great that we've got that but we have also got the ability to score goals as well, although maybe not as many as we'd like at Old Trafford last season.
“That was due to ourselves not finishing as well as we should have done but also due to opposition goalkeepers coming in and pulling off some absolutely blinding saves. However, I think that is an area the team will look to address next season."