United lift the Trophy!

This is what it`s all been about.

Crowned the previous weekend and treated to a guard of honour by deposed champions Chelsea in midweek, United could afford to lose 1-0 to West Ham United on Sunday and still had manager Alex Ferguson describe it "a fantastic occasion."

The result, which secured West Ham's survival, was only United's fifth defeat in a season which they ended with 89 points, six more than second-placed Chelsea.

As an added bonus, United were widely credited with having played the best football -- an accolade never given in the same measure to Chelsea last term.

United veterans Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs raised the trophy in front of more than 70,00 fans at Old Trafford as fireworks exploded behind them.

"There were times in last three years when we have been really low and inconsistent," said Neville, the United captain who has been injured for about two months. "But this year we deserved to be champions."

The team's jubilation wasn't diminished by a weakened side that lost to visiting West Ham 1-0 on the final day of the season. United manager Alex Ferguson started Sunday's match with Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Giggs on the bench.

"I'm very happy. It's a great day for me, my family and Manchester United," Ronaldo said, accompanied by his mother Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro. "This season has been a great season for me. I've won the title and a few individual trophies. I'm very happy and I want to go on like this next season."

"Hopefully we won't have to wait four years to win it again," United striker Wayne Rooney said.