Manchester United presented Nelson Mandela with a personal club Opus after the former
Mandela, who celebrated his 88th birthday on Tuesday, joked with the United players, including Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, after being introduced to them by manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
"I am meeting many of you for the first time - but I know your faces," he smiled.
Fergie handed over the Opus to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, specially commissioned in addition to the exclusive print run of 10,000, bearing the inscription '46664', Mandela's prison number. He also presented Mandela personal gifts of a United shirt bearing his name and a rare photograph taken for the Opus.
"Many of the young people in this room will have no idea what you did in your life," he said.
"But they should all feel very humble because you are one of the most inspirational people that has ever lived."