Manchester United star: FA Cup loss to Portsmouth still overshadows our 2008 Champions League triumph

The Red Devils claimed the coveted European title for the third time in their history after defeating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in Moscow.

Having also captured the Premier League title that season, it completed a remarkable campaign for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.

Yet Brown reveals in the Football Social Daily podcast he rues the failure to win the FA Cup in that same 2007-08 season – a result which thwarted another United treble.

That was down to Pompey, who knocked them out at the quarter-final stage with a 1-0 triumph at Old Trafford in March 2008.

Brown, who was also part of the 1999 treble-winning squad, played right-back in that encounter with Harry Redknapp’s side, while totalled 52 appearances overall in the campaign.

And he still curses Pompey’s intervention as they went on to secure the FA Cup for the first time in 69 years.

He told the FSD podcast: ‘People ask me which is the best one (season) – and I would still say 1999.

‘Just for the simple fact of the squad, the rules were a bit different with subs, there were a lot of games that season, but the lads just kept battling on and obviously had a bit of luck along the way.

‘To actually win the treble is not easy. I played quite a lot of the games up until the quarter-finals of that season, obviously you are at a big stage now and the manager has to go with the players that have been there for a long time and the more experience,

‘It's as simple as that and I think that's the way most things go.

‘In 2008 I was more of a senior figure and played more games in those later stages, it was a great experience. But what can I say? David James!

‘That’s the thing, when I look back at 2008 I think of that game, not necessarily that we won the Champions League, just that moment.

‘It was an opportunity to try to do it (the treble) again and it’s just one of those things football. It’s mad isn’t it, we should have won that game, but we didn’t and that’s the way it goes.

‘That’s just little minor things, it was still a great team, but that makes it a special team if we win the treble again. We just didn’t quite get there.’

Of the United team which lined-up against Pompey that day, all but one would start their Champions League final victory two-and-a-half months later.

The decisive moment against the Blues arrived 14 minutes from time when goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, on for the injured Edwin van der Sar, brought down Milan Baros to earn himself a red card – and the visitors a penalty.

Rio Ferdinand donned the gloves to go in goal, yet couldn’t prevent Sulley Muntari scoring the match-winner from the spot.

Pompey went on to defeat West Brom in the semi-final final, before claiming the FA Cup in May 2008 through Kanu’s second-half goal.