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Legendary Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he misses football management and the big occasions, in a rare interview.
Sir Alex retired in 2013 after leading United to their 13th Premier League title. When he stepped down, the Scot brought to an end an extremely successful 27-year-old tenure that also saw him win two Champions League titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, two UEFA Supercups, five FA Cups and four English League Cups.
Unsurprisingly, since his departure, United have struggled to replace a man widely accepted to be the greatest-ever football manager.
Since his exit, the Red Devils have failed to challenge for the Premier League, let alone win it.
The 82-year-old spoke to BBC Breakfast (via The Daily Mail) and admitted that he sometimes misses being back in the dugout but he has found a way to cope.
When asked how life is, Sir Alex responded, “Good yeah, I have been retired 11 years now so you find a way of adjusting.”
“I think the first year after retirement, I went to the European final and I said to Cathy ‘this is what I miss’ – big games, the European games.”
“So then I went to most of the European finals because I find something I can relate to, something I would liked to have done every day.”
“Because these are the big events that United should always be involved in.”
Sir Alex has had a troubling time during his retirement, marked by a brain haemorrhage he suffered in 2018 and the heartbreaking passing of his wife Cathy, in October last year.
On Cathy’s death, he remarked, “Well, 58 years is a long long time, she was a great great wife, a fantastic mother and a great grandmother. She was the leader of the band, no doubt about that.”
Fergie’s interview was part of National Playlist Day, which is used to celebrate the power of personalised music playlist for those living with dementia. He told BBC that he harbours concerns about losing his own memory.
“I’m 82, obviously I worry about it. Genuinely my memory is quite good, praise the lord, touch wood – I don’t know if it will stay that way.”
“But I worry about it, 100%. I would be lying if I felt I was anywhere different.”
He explained that he reads a lot, does quizzes and also utilises YouTube quizzes to keep busy. The ex-United gaffer noted that if he gets a score of anything less than 70 per cent, then it means he’s struggling – a true winner to this day!
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