Sir Alex Ferguson don open up say sometimes e dey think about death, and e get worry say e fit no live reach di time Manchester United go build dia new stadium. Di legendary Scotsman, wey now dey 84, talk about him health struggle and wetin di future hold for Red Devils as e yarn personal tori about him life and career.
Ferguson na one of di fiercest, most explosive and most decorated managers for football history. But e still remember di day e return to Old Trafford first time after brain haemorrhage for May 2018. E say e dey terrified. Four months after emergency surgery, e come back watch United play Wolves for Premier League.
Di man wey make dreams of United fans around world come true, for once no sure how supporters go receive am. E tell BBC Breakfast say e wish e fit say e comfortable, but e no comfortable. But e no need worry. Ferguson and him wife Cathy receive standing ovation when dem take seat for directors box before kick-off. E say him wife nearly cry, and when dem sit down she tell am say na fantastic.
Ferguson don retire five years before di brain haemorrhage, after e win 38 trophies in 26 years in charge of United. E be 76 when di haemorrhage happen. Now e dey three months short of 85, and e talk say e dey feel quite good despite small injuries.
Di Scot get new book, Games of My Life. Di book tell stories of 21 defining matches for him playing and managerial career. E reveal fresh insights into him journey from working-class Glasgow to dominate English game and Europe as United boss.
Ferguson dey thankful say e fit talk about games wey shape am. After brain surgery, e lose him voice, e no fit speak. E call am frightening moment. E remember say him grandsons come see am but e no get voice. Dem bring therapist wey start ask am to write down names of birds, animals and rivers. Na so him voice come back.
During him time for United between 1986 and 2013, Ferguson win everything. E get 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League titles, five FA Cup triumphs, four League Cup wins, plus Club World Cup, European Super Cup, European Cup Winners’ Cup and Intercontinental Cup for Old Trafford trophy cabinet. E transform United into winning machine.
For him book, Ferguson pick standout games from winning first cup final playing for Govan High School for Glasgow in 1955 when e be 13, reach him retirement as manager in 2013. E hold medal from that cup win 71 years ago and call am him starting point. E play for Glasgow Schools, Scotland Schools and Scotland youth team. E look back with great satisfaction.
Ferguson describe growing up for Govan as ‘the making of me’. E say e develop 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 e be hard taskmaster. Whenever Ferguson score hat-trick or goal, him mother go say na great, son. Him father still give tough constructive criticism no matter how many goals e score.
After e debut as 16-year-old striker for Queen’s Park, Ferguson end up at St Johnstone. There e endure frustrating spell and nearly quit football to go start new life for Canada. E no enjoy am, e no dey play first-team football, e dey reserves all di time. E fill forms and phone him aunt for Canada because you need sponsor then, and e never tell him mother and father.
Next day St Johnstone, wey flu bug decimate, arrive Ibrox to face 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 become one of football greatest managers. E advise young people say make dem no miss biggest opportunity for dia life, na to recognise am.
Ferguson receive him Scotland cap for 2021, 54 years after e appear for him country. Dem present am for Hampden Park for di night Scott McTominay, then United player, score dramatic stoppage-time winner for 3-2 win over Israel for World Cup qualifier. Ferguson remember say e sign McTominay when e be seven years old.
For table during interview, old letters from disgruntled United fans dey. Dem write am amid speculation say e wan sell midfielder Paul Ince to Inter Milan for summer 1995. One letter talk: ‘Don’t sell Incey to Inter – or you’ll regret it’. Another talk: ‘Every Red is disgusted with you’. Ferguson talk say Paul na tremendous footballer, no doubt. E get incredible ability, but e just get feeling say Paul got carried away small at di time. Inter offer come, e dey weigh one thing against another, e look Paul Scholes and ask should we? Inter offer go from £7m to £7.5m and e talk do it. Na so manager job be, you must make hard decisions, and some decisions no suit everybody.
Notebook also dey table with list of words Ferguson scribble when e dey address him players. Names of Bernard Monty Montgomery, World War Two general wey outwit him arch rival, and former prime minister Winston Churchill dey on list. Ince name still dey. Ferguson laugh say e never notice that before, e no fit escape Ince. E once call Ince big-time Charlie, but later talk say e regret saying that, na mistake. Di pair don reconcile. Ferguson talk say Ince na good friend of him, e dey come over play snooker with am, and e text am not long ago.
Former Liverpool and Scotland defender Alan Hansen talk after youthful United side lose 3-1 at Aston Villa for August 1995 say: ‘You can’t win anything with kids’. Ince, 27, and forward Mark Hughes, 31, don move go Inter and Chelsea respectively that summer. Meanwhile Ryan Giggs, 21, Gary Neville, 20, Scholes, 20, and David Beckham, 20, begin make name for themselves. By end of season, Ferguson side win Premier League and FA Cup double.
Ferguson talk say dem work really hard to get youth into club again and di bunch of young lads become spirit of Manchester United. E say dem add something. Apart from great abilities, dem get desire. E put Beckham out on loan at Preston for March 1995 and Beckham think say e wan get rid of am, but that no true. David be last to really develop because of him physique. Although e grow reach 6ft, e be small and thin as young kid.
Dem ask Ferguson if e ever fear say throwing young players inside deep end fit backfire. E talk say e do exactly same when e dey charge St Mirren and Aberdeen. E 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.
