Sir Alex Ferguson don tok say fear catch am well well the first time wey he go back to Old Trafford after brain haemorrhage for May 2018. The legendary former Manchester United manager, wey be one of the most decorated and fierce coaches for football history, yarn about the return for interview with BBC Breakfast.
Ferguson bin undergo emergency surgery after him fall ill, and dem put am for intensive care for Salford Royal Hospital. Four months after the surgery, he return to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play Wolves for Premier League. The match end 1-1. Before kick-off, when Ferguson and him wife Cathy take seat for directors’ box, supporters give them standing ovation.
He say, ‘I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn’t.’ He add say him wife nearly cry. When dem sit down, she tell am, ‘That’s fantastic.’ Ferguson tok say e no know wetin reaction go be, but the announcement come with loud applause. He call am the generosity of the support and recognition of him time for Old Trafford.
Ferguson bin retire five years before the brain haemorrhage. He win 38 trophies during 26 years in charge of Manchester United. At the time of the haemorrhage, he be 76. Now, at 84 and three months short of 85, he say he dey feel quite good despite small injuries.
The Scot also open up about the days immediately after brain surgery. He say, ‘I had lost my voice; I couldn’t speak. That was a frightening moment.’ He remember say him grandsons come see am and he no fit talk. Then dem bring therapist wey start ask am to write down names of birds, names of animals, names of rivers. Na that way him voice come back.
Ferguson get new book wey him title ‘Games of My Life’. The book tell stories of 21 defining matches for him playing and managerial career. E show fresh insights into him journey from working-class Glasgow to dominating English game and Europe as Manchester United boss. Ferguson say he dey thankful say he still fit talk about the games wey help shape am.
During him time for Manchester United between 1986 and 2013, Ferguson win plenty. He lift 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League titles, five FA Cup triumphs, four League Cups, Club World Cup, European Super Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and Intercontinental Cup. For him book, he pick standout games from winning him first cup final for Govan High School for Glasgow in 1955 at age 13, reach him retirement as manager in 2013.
He hold the medal from that 1955 win and say, ‘That was my starting point.’ He also play for Glasgow Schools, Scotland Schools and Scotland youth team. He say the starting point of him career dey there and he fit look back with great satisfaction.
Ferguson describe growing up for Govan as ‘the making of me’. He say he get inner confidence from him mother Elizabeth and drive to succeed from him father Alexander, wey work for Govan shipyards on River Clyde. Him father proud of am and him brother, but he be hard taskmaster. Whenever Ferguson score hat-trick or goal, him mother go say ‘that’s great, son’, but him father still give tough constructive criticism no matter how many goals he score.
After he make him debut as 16-year-old striker for Queen’s Park, Ferguson end up for St Johnstone. He endure frustrating spell and nearly quit football for new life for Canada. He say, ‘I wasn’t enjoying it. I wasn’t playing first-team football; I was in the reserves all the time.’ He fill out forms and phone him aunt for Canada because you need sponsor then, and he never tell him mother and father.
The next day, St Johnstone, wey flu bug decimate, arrive Ibrox to take on Rangers. A 21-year-old Ferguson get promotion to starting XI and score hat-trick. That life-changing performance for 1963 revive him playing career and set am on path to becoming one of football greatest managers. He advise young people, ‘Don’t miss the biggest opportunity in your life. It’s recognising it.’
For the interview, Ferguson sit in front of table wey get several items from him career. One na the Scotland cap wey dem finally present to am for 2021, 54 years after he appear for him country. Ferguson receive the cap for Hampden Park on the night Scott McTominay, then a Manchester United player, score dramatic stoppage-time winner for 3-2 win over Israel for World Cup qualifier. Ferguson say he remember signing McTominay at seven years of age.
Old letters also dey on the table, addressed to Ferguson from disgruntled Manchester United fans. Dem write amid speculation say he wan sell midfielder Paul Ince to Inter Milan for summer of 1995. One letter read, ‘Don’t sell Incey to Inter – or you’ll regret it.’ Another one read, ‘Every Red is disgusted with you.’
Ferguson talk about Ince. He say, ‘Paul was a tremendous footballer, there’s no doubt about that. He had incredible ability, but I just had that feeling that he just got carried away a bit at the time.’ He explain say Ince get offer from Inter Milan. Ferguson dey weigh one thing against another. He look Paul Scholes and ask, ‘should we?’ The Milan offer go from £7m to £7.5m and Ferguson say, ‘do it.’ He add say na manager work to make hard decisions, and some decisions no suit everybody.
A notebook also dey on the table with list of words Ferguson scribble down when he dey address him players. Names of Bernard ‘Monty’ Montgomery, the World War Two general wey outwit him arch rival, and former prime minister Winston Churchill dey on the list. Ince name also dey there. Ferguson laugh and say, ‘I didn’t notice that before. I couldn’t escape him.’ Ferguson once call Ince a ‘big-time Charlie’. He later say, ‘I regret saying that. That was a mistake.’ The pair don reconcile. Ferguson say, ‘He’s a good friend of mine. He used to come over and play snooker with me. He texted me not so long ago.’
Former Liverpool and Scotland defender Alan Hansen talk after a youthful Manchester United side lose 3-1 to Aston Villa for August 1995. Hansen say, ‘You can’t win anything with kids.’ Ince, 27, and forward Mark Hughes, 31, don move on that summer to Inter and Chelsea respectively. Meanwhile, Ryan Giggs, 21, Gary Neville, 20, Scholes, 20, and David Beckham, 20, begin to make name for themselves. By end of season, Ferguson side win Premier League and FA Cup double.
Ferguson say, ‘We’d worked really hard getting youth into the club again and this bunch of young lads became the spirit of Manchester United.’ He add say apart from great abilities, dem get desire. He put Beckham out on loan at Preston for March 1995 and Beckham think say he wan get rid of am, but that no true. Ferguson say David be the last to really develop because of him physique. Although he grow to 6ft, he be small and thin as young kid.
Dem ask Ferguson if he ever fear say throwing him young players inside deep end fit backfire. He answer say he do exactly same when he dey in charge for St Mirren and Aberdeen. He say he get belief in young people because if you give dem opportunity, two things happen: dem become real stars and dem fit remain loyal to you as manager.
