It was just meant to be. Who better to secure the goal that would confirm Manchester United as champions of England once more than Robin van Persie, scorer of so many vital goals in the 2012-13 campaign? And what better way to score it? Thirteen minutes had passed in a April 23 game where victory would land the Reds their 20th Premier League title when the Dutchman, already with one goal to his name, darted across a helpless Aston Villa back line to meet a stunning 50-yard Wayne Rooney pass, thumping it first time from the edge of the area past Brad Guzan.

By the time he completed an astonishing first half hat trick in the 33rd minute, the Old Trafford faithful were still in a state of shock. In terms of technique, precision and power, it was up there with anything witnessed at the ground in recent years - which with Manchester United, a team whose attacking football breeds all kinds of breathtaking moments, is really saying something. Not since Rooney's famous bicycle kick against Manchester City in 2011 had a United player scored a goal as both meaningful and spectacular. Sir Alex Ferguson called it "the goal of the century".

"It was a great pass from Wayne for a start. He had to spot my run because I went in front of Ron Vlaar," the 29-year-old told MUTV after the final whistle. "It was straight into my path. I was counting my steps. The only thing I had to do was time it right and keep my body straight, level with the ball. You need to be a bit lucky with those goals because most of them go over or wide. That didn't, which was a big relief."

The goal ended any realistic chance of Aston Villa stopping United in their tracks on their march to a title, and Manchester City fans - hoping Ferguson's side would slip up, as they did a year previous with several points in hand over their rivals - let out a final sigh of defeat. Robin van Persie, United's number 20, had delivered United title number 20.

When Neymar ran out for Santos for the final time last week, emerging to eardrum-bursting screams from the stands at Brasilia's Estadio Mane Garrincha, it was to the biggest attendance at a South American league game ever. A total £2.24m was spent on tickets to the match. It's a measure of just how much the 21-year-old - who next season will join the likes of Leo Messi and Andres Iniesta at Barcelona - means to Brazil and its culture, a sign of how firmly he is regarded in his homeland as the next great superstar of the game.

With the nation, the most decorated in football history, languishing at 19th in the FIFA rankings, a number of disappointing tournaments behind them and severe doubts over the side's capabilities going into next year's World Cup - the debate currently raging in local media is whether were Brazil not hosting the tournament they'd even qualify - these are dark times for Brazil. Neymar, now off to test himself in Europe, is their brightest beacon of hope, a player whose eye-popping flourishes of skill recall Ronaldinho at his peak, but whose finishing reminds more of mercurial legends Pele and Ronaldo.

Appearing 225 times in Santos' famous black and white, Neymar managed an impressive 136 goals, winning three Golden Boots, three championship titles and becoming an icon of the game, written into Brazilian soap operas, plastered across Billboards and mobbed by fans wherever he travelled. No wonder, then, when it came to bidding him farewell last Sunday, they did so in style: local new reports described the scenes as like a "funeral party": sad to see him go but accepting of his need to move on and thankful for the memories. Pele said it best: "It's fantastic for him, it's fantastic for the sport. But for us who love Santos, it is not so fantastic."

The World Cup winner has long been one of Neymar's biggest supporters, even once claiming he is better than Messi, who he'll soon be linking up with in attack for Barcelona, and says he is certain the 21-year-old has what it takes to cut in Europe. The European game poses the player's biggest challenge yet - faster, more physical, with the defenders he'll encounter in the UEFA Champions League unlikely to afford him the same reverence he's used to back home. But with a rich history of Brazilian Blaugranas - Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Romario to name but a few - to be inspired by, there's an almost rabid excitement around his transfer to the Catalan club. Who wouldn't be excited by the tantalising prospect of the most technically gifted young showman of the modern game partnering with the unstoppable Leo Messi, collecting passes from Andres Iniesta and going head-to-head with players like Andrea Pirlo and Wayne Rooney on the domestic game's biggest stage? These are the calibre of players he'll be facing in next year's World Cup. Better to begin facing them now.

Only four players have ever managed to score 100 times by the age of 20: Pele, Maradona, Ronaldo and Neymar. With that comes great expectation, and performing in Europe he'll have tremendous pressure heaped upon his shoulders. But for Neymar, always so relaxed on the pitch, grinning beneath that trademark Mohican hair, you imagine he'll take it all in his stride.

All good things must come to an end, the saying goes. But the careers of Alex Ferguson, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, all of whom announced their impending retirement this week, were more than just "good". Their tenures at the top changed the face of football forever, each in their own unique way. Ferguson, with his merciless will to win and sharp wit redefined what it is to be a successful coach with his trophy haul at Old Trafford. Scholes ushered in a new breed of football, his precision passing cited as the inspiration behind Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez' rhythmic tiki-taka at Barcelona. David Beckham, meanwhile - well, where to begin?

In the space of ten days, we've seen three of the Manchester United old guard stand down. Beckham may have departed United some time ago but his name is still sung in the terraces as though he were turning out for the Stretford side each week. All who remains now of the club's famous class of '92 is the ageless Ryan Giggs, who is set to stay for another year with the side. Till then, soak in these statistics, putting in perspective the incredible contributions to the game of this famous trio.

Sir Alex Ferguson

- 22m people in the UK have been born since Sir Alex took the reigns at United 26 years ago.

- Manchester United scored 1535 goals in 723 games at Old Trafford under his management.

- The Scot won 305 of 405 home games in the Premier League with United.

- Fergie has 161 more Premier League wins than the next most successful manager Arsene Wenger, with 527 wins.

David Beckham

- Beckham played 534 top-flight league games during his career, scoring or assisting 242 goals overall.

- In 265 games for Man Utd David Beckham scored 62 goals compared to just 33 in 269 league games for other clubs.

- More than 10m replica Beckham shirts were sold during his career, creating over £1b in revenue for the clubs he played for.

Paul Scholes

- Paul Scholes has scored 59 Premier League goals for United at Old Trafford. Only Wayne Rooney (78) has more.

- Career average of 89.58% pass accuracy.

Andrea Pirlo is the thinking man's footballer - a wine-sipping sophisticate who doesn't bomb around the pitch but rather seems to float from end to end, elegantly sculpting the play around him. It's maybe for this reason the Juventus man has named his new autobiography 'I Think, Therefore I Play'. A fascinating insight into his life and career to date, Icons took a sneak peek at the book ahead of its forthcoming release. Here's some of its most interesting revelations...