The McClair family have strong ties to Old Trafford.But the difference between how Manchester United legend Brian and his son Liam got to the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ couldn’t be more stark. The elder McClain joined the Red Devils in July 1987 after four seasons at Scottish giants Celtic.At the Glaswegian giants, McClair slammed home an impressive 126 goals in 204 appearances across all competitions.Brian McClair’s iconic Red Devils careerHe arrived in the first window of the Sir Alex Ferguson era at United, as the legendary boss forked out £850,000 for McClair.It proved to be an almighty bargain given the career McClair went on to enjoy at the club.The Scot spent over a decade in Manchester, where he made a staggering 471 appearances and netted 127 goals.McClair also enjoyed plenty of silverware during his stint with the Red Devils, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the League Cup, a European Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Super Cup.Although McClair evidently excelled on the pitch, it was his work off it that left a lasting impression on Ferguson.Why Fergie loved McClair“I bought Brian McClair in my first summer here, and he was a fantastic signing, absolutely marvellous,” Ferguson said. “We’ve had great signings: [Peter] Schmeichel, [Steve] Bruce, [Eric] Cantona but Brian’s been every bit as good. “He’s loyal, marvellous in the dressing room, a considerate person, and does a lot of work for the players that may not register with many people, but it does with me and everybody at the club.”Ferguson managed dozens of players but few matched McClair’s work ethicGettyFerguson also hailed McClair’s versatility, claiming he could play anywhere up top or in the midfield and no matter where he ended up, he ‘just got on with the job.’“Brian had fantastic energy, brave, two good feet and a terrific work rate,” Ferguson added.“He was an underrated, fantastic footballer.”McClair departed Old Trafford as a player in 1998 but returned as a coach in 2001, where he took over the reserves and later became the director of United’s youth academy.Of the hundreds of kids who came through United’s academy during McClair’s time in charge, one of those was his son.Liam McClair’s injury hell at CarringtonThroughout his time in the academy, Liam McClair called the likes of Matty James and Federico Macheda his teammates.The Scot’s time at United as a player and coach spanned well over two decadesGettyAlthough James and Macheda went on to enjoy careers as professionals, McClair became bitterly unlucky with injuries.Speaking to Planet Football, McClair revealed the brutal extent of his unfortunate bill of health.“I ripped a quad muscle just as I signed for them so I was out for about eight months with the rehab at Carrington, then I came back for a month or two, went to the Milk Cup, where we finished runners-up to Sao Pualo, I think, in 2007,” McClair said.“Then I had keyhole surgery on my ankle, which was down to a previous injury, so I was out for another eight months. So I wasn’t really in the team that much. I only ended up playing a handful of matches.”McClair added: “I didn’t really establish myself enough, and by the time I came back from my second injury, I was training with players a few years below – the likes of Jesse Lingard and Ravel Morrison.”Although McClair conceded he could have moved elsewhere to pursue a career in football, he decided he’d go to university, where he studied sport in Liverpool.McClair found success in a completely different career@liammcclair - InstagramBut in his final year, McClair chose to go down a path that represented a major departure from what he’d know all his life: music.How McClair carved out new careerHe performed at gigs while some of his tunes received airtime on BBC Introducing.But perhaps the greatest honour early in his music career was when his song, ‘How’, got played at Old Trafford at half-time of United’s clash against Southampton in October 2013.Speaking to the Macclesfield Express shortly after, McClair could barely hide his delight.“It is unbelievably really,” McClair said.“I am still pinching myself about it.McClair plays a variety of gigs but still has ties to United with his music being played at Old Trafford@liammclair - Instagram“To have one of my songs played to so many people was a dream come true.”Several of McClair’s songs have since been blared out over the speakers at Old Trafford, although his primary forms of income from music come via gigs, weddings and other functions.It’s not how they may have envisaged it, but the McClairs can now say they have both played at Old Trafford.