Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Manchester United, is approaching his 85th birthday, reflecting in an interview with BBC Breakfast on the difficult period following a brain haemorrhage he suffered in May 2018. At the time of the stroke, he had been retired for five years and was 76 years old. Today, three months before his 85th birthday, he speaks of his recovery and new book.
Ferguson stated that following the brain operation, he lost his voice and was unable to speak for days. He was instructed by therapists to write the names of birds, animals and rivers, which was part of the process of restoring his speech. Four months after the emergency operation, he returned to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play against Wolves in the Premier League. When he and his wife, Cathy, sat in the directors' box, they received a standing ovation.
Ferguson is releasing a new book, 'Games of My Life', which covers 21 key matches in his playing and managerial career. He managed United between 1986 and 2013, winning 38 trophies in 26 years in charge. Among these were 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League titles, five FA Cups and four League Cups. He also won the Club World Cup, the European Super Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
His career could have taken a completely different path. Ferguson was close to leaving football for a new life in Canada, having completed all the forms and called his aunt in Canada. However, St Johnstone came to Ibrox the next day to play against Rangers, and Ferguson, aged 21, was promoted to the starting lineup and scored a hat-trick. That 1963 match revived his playing career.
Ferguson grew up in Govan, and his mother was named Elizabeth. His father, Alexander, worked in the shipyards in Govan on the River Clyde. At the age of 13, in 1955, he won his first cup, playing for Govan High School in Glasgow. He played for Glasgow Schools, Scotland Schools and the Scottish youth team, debuting as a 16-year-old attacker for Queen's Park. He later moved to St Johnstone. He received the Scottish cap in 2021 at Hampden Park, 54 years after his debut for the country.
In the interview, he touched upon old letters from dissatisfied United fans, related to speculation that the club would sell midfielder Paul Ince to Inter Milan in the summer of 1995. One letter read: 'Don't sell Ince to Inter - or you'll regret it', the other: 'Every Red is disgusted with you'. Ferguson stated that Ince was an excellent footballer with incredible ability, but that he felt he had strayed a little at the time. The offer from Milan was 7 million pounds to 7.5 million pounds, and Ferguson said 'do it'. He recalled Scott McTague, who was then a United player and had scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory over Israel in the World Cup qualifiers, with Ferguson stating that he had signed him at the age of seven.
