Mr Versatile O'Shea keeps faith to win over United fans

Along with the likes of Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson, O'Shea was viewed by some United fans as symptomatic of declining standards at Old Trafford.

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On Saturday at Wembley, O'Shea hopes to be part of a team sealing a domestic Double to place them firmly back at the pinnacle of English football.

He should be slightly bitter but says he is not. "At the time it didn't get to me because it was all on the outside, what was being said," he said this week. "I knew myself what was being said on the inside of the club, so it wasn't affecting me in that sense.

"But now it's something that has been overcome on the outside as well, so it's done and dusted. Now I'm just enjoying my football."

Hearing O'Shea and Fletcher booed by United's travelling support before their team's 1-0 defeat to Lille in Paris in October 2005 was remarkable and indicative at the time of a struggling club.

Coming just days after the 4-1 League defeat at Middlesbrough and the infamous Roy Keane TV dissection that followed, O'Shea was in many ways the victim of a storm not of his making.

He said: "When you lose 4- 1 at Middlesbrough and then lose a few days later to Lille, that doesn't help matters, does it? I was aware of it because it was my turn to do a press conference before the Lille game. I was fully aware of what was being said.

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"It's just the fans' choice, isn't it? You're at a massive club and it's not always going to be nice and rosy every day of the week. For me it was easy to shut it out because I know my ability.

"I know why I'm at the club and I know the people at the club have confidence in me. That was all that was concerning me.

"You just have to accept it. That's what builds your character. Shortly after all that we beat Chelsea at home and, for me, that was certainly a turning point."

The opposition are Chelsea again - this time at Wembley on Saturday. O'Shea will not know until the morning if he has won the battle with Wes Brown to fill the injured Gary Neville's shoes at right back. But if he does, Chelsea may be wise to consider his lurking, lanky presence at set pieces.

Goals against Liverpool at Anfield and Everton at Goodison Park have been crucial to United regaining the Premiership title and statistics show that he is the most accurate goalscorer in the country. Four league goals have come from just six attempts all season.

"I saw the stat and I was giving the strikers a bit of stick about that," he said. "It's just one of those things. Let's face it, I didn't have too many shots so that's why the ratio was so high.

"But it's a nice stat to have and I wouldn't mind outscoring Didier Drogba at Wembley."

O'Shea's relationship with Keane, who played a role in recommending him to Sir Alex Ferguson, is said to remain strong and the 26-year-old follows one of his former captain's philosophies.

Unlike at Stamford Bridge, United players tend not to criticise their manager when they are not playing. O'Shea never has and believes it's fundamental to the club's success.

"You never hear a player moaning when they're at Manchester United," he said. "You want to keep a good atmosphere and that's what we've had all season - and we've seen the benefits of it. In the past couple of seasons maybe everything didn't seem to be OK but this season it has been perfect."

Perfection, of course, would have come in the shape of a treble of Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League.

The latter third of that dream died on a wet pitch in Milan earlier this month but a domestic double remains a possibility.

To overcome Chelsea, United will have to deal with the London club's suffocating tactics - something they have not always found easy. There will also be the memories of the feisty 0-0 draw played out at Stamford Bridge in the days after United clinched the title.

O'Shea said: "People thought it was just going to be a stroll in the park but, as you saw, there were plenty of meaty challenges and no doubt it will be the same at Wembley.

"It's great that the Premiership is done and dusted but when you're going for three trophies and then find yourself down to two, it's really important that we do the Double.

"We couldn't face a bigger task than Chelsea. It's going to be like facing a wounded animal, as they say, and a huge test for us but one we're more than capable of passing."