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The start of the coming Premier League season marks the 25th anniversary of the first campaign for the then-breakaway league.
It was marketed as a whole new ball game, and comparing football now and then explains why. Leeds United were champions - not a Championship side - and at that point the record-breaking transfer was Jean-Pierre Papin’s £10million move to AC Milan.
As part of the promotion for that season, new broadcasters Sky Sports gathered 22 players for a promotional photo. Sportsmail has taken a look at what happened next for each player and club.
Having been one of the contenders for the title the year prior, Sheffield Wednesday stumbled to a seventh-place finish. This would be Hirst’s last injury-free season as between August 1993 and May 1995 he played just 25 games. A move to Southampton was unsuccessful because of the same injury issues. His son George now plays for the Owls.
After being pipped to the Division One title by Leeds United, Alex Ferguson’s side were crowned the first Premier League winners. Sharpe was expected to be the a star but it never really panned out. He suffered a bout of meningitis around the time of this photo. Appearances for United were limited after that point and moves to Leeds, Bradford and Portsmouth did not go to plan. Sharpe later appeared on ITV’sCelebrity Wrestling as ‘Sharpe Shooter’, went on Celebrity Love Island, Dancing on Ice and even appeared on Coronation Street as a taxi driver.
Aston Villa were United’s closest challengers for that inaugural crown, although they finished 10 points behind the top-placed side. Daley’s best years were behind him by the start of the Premier League. He left Villa, the club he made the most appearances for, in 1994 and went on to make few appearances during spells at Wolves, Watford and Walsall. Daley trained as a fitness coach and had a 10-year period at Wolves, leaving in May of this year.
Chelsea were about 10 years away from becoming the side most modern fans could identify. They finished 14th in 1992-93. Jones didn’t even play a Premier League game for Chelsea, leaving to rejoin former club Wimbledon. He spent six seasons there before a short spell at QPR. His post-football career is more well known. Jones is known as the star of films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, X-Men and the upcoming Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Recently courted controversy with a hunting photo.
Liverpool’s era of domestic dominance was over and they would finish sixth in the 1992-93 season. Wright himself captained the Reds in that first Premier League campaign. He would go on to be regarded as one of Liverpool’s 100 most influential players. Wright retired at 35 in 1998 before going into a career as a manager, including three spells at Chester. He is now head of club development at Southport and an advocate for foster care.
Ipswich followed up their promotion to the top flight with a 16th-place finish in the Premier League. They began the season with an unbeaten run of eight games and were fourth by February but dropped off dramatically. Wark was in his third season at Portman Road. The midfielder played until the age of 39, featuring in a staggering 826 league games. He now works in corporate hospitality at Ipswich.
Southampton struggled to an 18th-place finish. Flowers spent that season at The Dell but he was not long for that parish. He joined Blackburn in November 1993, becoming the most expensive goalkeeper in England. Flowers went on to become a Premier League winner in 1995. He has coached since retirement, although his last position of note was a two-week long spell as Kidderminster Harriers manager.
As an omen for things to come, Blackburn finished that first season in fourth. Sherwood would be a key cog in a successful spell over the next three seasons that would culminate with a title in 1995. He has become better known for his win percentage in retirement, although an ill-fated spell as Swindon director of football last season led to criticism for his role in a destructive campaign. Also works as a pundit on television.
A ninth-placed finish for Manchester City was something of a positive compared to their general struggles throughout the 90s. Brightwell stayed at Maine Road until 1998 before moving to Coventry, where he played zero games over two seasons. He spent time as Macclesfield manager. Brightwell has done co-commentary work.
Norwich were the surprise package of the Premier League, finishing third after a blistering start. They looked, at one point, as though they might win the league. Butterworth was forced to retire in 1994 after a knee injury, although he did spend a short spell in the USA with the Colorado Rapids. He managed Cobh Ramblers and IK Brage. He was chief scout at QPR and is now involved in international and UK recruitment at Burnley.
Segers and Wimbledon managed to come 12th in the top flight as their glorious 1980s high point extended into the new era of English football. Segers never finished below 14th with Wimbledon. But in 1994 he was accused of match fixing. He was later cleared in 1997 but was found guilty by the FA of breaching betting regulations. Segers has done some coaching in retirement.
Coventry, something of a fixture in the Premier League’s early years, came 15th in 1992-93. Pearce left the club at the end of that first season to join Sheffield Wednesday, where he played 66 games. Pearce is no longer a prominent person in football.
Sheffield United dropped to a lower mid-table finish, coming 14th. After 147 games for the Blades, Bradshaw left the club in 1994 for Norwich. His contract with the Canaries was cancelled after he assaulted a taxi driver and spent a short spell in prison. Bradshaw then went on to play for Wigan, Scunthorpe and Alfreton Town. He has worked as a qualified bricklayer in his hometown of Sheffield in retirement. Bradshaw was open about not being interested in staying in the game.
An eighth-placed finish beckoned for Tottenham during the opening Premier League season. Durie lasted just one campaign in the top flight with Spurs, moving in 1993 to join Rangers, where he won the Scottish league seven times. Durie worked as a coach at Ibrox under Ally McCoist, leaving in 2015. He was declared bankrupt in 2016.
Arsenal came 10th in the top flight during the 1992-93 Premier League campaign. Hillier featured in 43 games but missed both the League Cup and FA Cup final after picking up a leg injury. After establishing himself in the first team he dropped back out as fitness woes reared their head. Hillier had spells at Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers. As of 2015, he was working as a fireman in Bristol.
It was not an enjoyable campaign for Nottingham Forest, who finished bottom of the Premier League in Brian Clough’s last season as manager. Charles left the City Ground in the summer of 1993 to join Derby County. After battles with alcoholism, he attained a coaching licence and went on to become director of football at the University of Nottingham.
The Latics stayed in the top flight by the skin of their teeth, finishing on equal points with 20th-placed Crystal Palace but with a better goal difference by a margin of two. Ritchie stayed for another two seasons, scoring 104 goals in 250 games. ‘Stitch’ became Oldham manager in 1998 and took charge of Barnsley and Huddersfield during his managerial career. He currently works as a columnist for the Yorkshire Evening Post.
Palace were the unfortunate victims of Oldham’s slightly better goal difference. Salako helped Palace return to the top flight at the first time of asking but they were relegated once more the season after. He left his boyhood club in 1995 but returned in retirement as a coach at various age groups. Salako now works for Sky Sports during live games.
Sinton’s QPR side were surprise performers in the first Premier League season, coming fifth. Sinton left at the end of that season to join Sheffield Wednesday before time at Tottenham, Wolves, and Burton. But the 51-year-old is still heavily tied to QPR and works as a club ambassador for the west London side.
Middlesbrough were relegated, finishing in 21st, five points off safety. Kernaghan left the ship as it sunk, joining Manchester City, although he never really settled at Maine Road. He spent time coaching at Brentford before becoming Glentoran manager in 2015, although he resigned after less than a year. Kernaghan recently gave an interview in which he discussed his life with diabetes.
Leeds were the last champions in the old system but they dropped to a 17th-place finish in the first Premier League season. Strachan won Player of the Year that campaign and stayed at Elland Road for a further two seasons - including a fifth-place finish the next season. He joined Coventry as assistant manager while also featuring infrequently for the first team. The diminutive midfielder eventually took over as manager after Ron Atkinson left. He is currently Scotland manager.
Everton came 13th in the first ever Premier League season and have been a fixture in the top flight ever since. Beardsley only spent two seasons with the Toffees after moving from Liverpool, returning to Newcastle in the summer of 1993. The former forward has spent years coaching for Newcastle and works as a football development manager at the club under Rafa Benitez.
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...idealistically forged by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!
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Take a look back on day one as 
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