Manchester United’s most successful manager writes of Wayne Rooney’s desire to leave, how David Beckham became too big for his boots, why Steven Gerrard isn’t as good as Paul Scholes and how relief swept through the Old Trafford dressing room when Roy Keane departed for Celtic in 2005.
From the sublimely talented Cristiano Ronaldo to Ferguson snubbing the England job not once, but twice, the Scot lifts the lid on the trials and tribulations of life at the top of his game.
Read on to find out what Ferguson had to say in My Autobiography
ON WAYNE ROONEY…
Ferguson confirmed that Wayne Rooney asked to leave Manchester United at the end of last season, also revealing that the request was repeated by his agent Paul Stretford.
He also writes of how Rooney struggles to remain in peak condition compared to players like Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo.
On that transfer request at the end of last season — an incident Rooney’s official spokesperson has consistently denied — Ferguson writes: ‘He came into my office the day after we won the league and asked away.
‘He wasn’t happy with being left out for some games and subbed in others. His agent Paul Stretford phoned David Gill with the same message.’
ON STEVEN GERRARD…
Steven Gerrard is not a ‘top, top player,’ according to Ferguson.
The former Manchester United manager felt the England captain ‘seldom had a kick’ when coming up against a midfield of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.
But despite this, Ferguson admits he tried to sign the Liverpool player when word reached Old Trafford in 2005 that his days at Anfield were numbered.
Among considered musings about Gerrard, Ferguson questions why he was not played centrally more often under Rafael Benitez – who often positioned him out wide – and claims he was the only midfielder who could hurt United with bursts forward through the heart of his team’s defence.
He concluded Gerrard had the ability to beat team’s single-handedly, but believes he had more success internationally than at club level.
ON DAVID BECKHAM…
David Beckham chose fame rather than fulfilling his potential to become a legend at United, writes Ferguson.
In a damning assessment on Beckham’s departure from the club, Ferguson refuses to be repentant about kicking a boot at the player’s head and claims he thought he was bigger than his manager.
Ferguson details how the boot-kicking incident was sparked because Beckham failed to track Sylvain Wiltord during an FA Cup 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in February 2003, leading to the second goal.
Ferguson says: ‘Of course he rose to have a go at me and the players stopped him. “Sit down,” I said. “You’ve let your team down.”’
ON ROY KEANE…
Ferguson says that Roy Keane’s personality changed at United when he began to lose his dominance in midfield, and also questions his managerial ability as well as revealing the full details of his astonishing exit from Old Trafford.
He writes of the ‘relief’ that was felt in the dressing room when the former skipper with ‘the most savage tongue’ left the club in a blaze of controversy in 2005.
According to Ferguson, the physio would ask what sort of mood Keane was in that day ‘because it would affect whole dressing room’. ‘That was how influential he was in our daily lives’.
ON CRISTIANO RONALDO…
Ferguson described Cristiano Ronaldo as the finest player he ever worked with and credited Wayne Rooney with convincing him to stay at United after the controversy of England’s World Cup quarter-final against Portugal.
Ronaldo became public enemy No 1 in England when he winked at the Portugal bench after Rooney’s dismissal for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho and was among the first to complain to the referee about his club-mate’s challenge.
Faced with losing his best player to the fallout, Ferguson writes that Rooney himself played an instrumental role in convincing the Portuguese to stay.
Rooney telephoned Ronaldo personally and repeatedly to reassure him that he did not blame him for his dismissal and even suggested to Ferguson that he could give a joint interview to show to display their unity.
ON LIVERPOOL…
The Scot claims Liverpool are eight players short of a title-winning squad and blasts bitter rival Rafa Benitez.
Ferguson tears into Benitez in his new autobiography, describing him as a ‘silly man’ and a control freak who has no friends in management.
But there is wider criticism for Liverpool as a club over the Luis Suarez affair, and even the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as manager.
Ferguson also dares suggest that Michael Owen became a better player once he had joined Manchester United and dismisses the qualities of Kenny Dalglish signings’ Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll.
But his most scathing words are reserved for Benitez who he says would rather destroy a game than win it and claims his own players could not understand what he was saying from the touchline.
ON THE ENGLAND JOB…
Ferguson reveals he was approached twice by the Football Association to become England manager, first in 1999 prior to the appointment of Kevin Keegan and second in 2001 before Sven Goran-Eriksson was given the job.
The FA also wrote to as recently as last year asking him not to discuss Harry Redknapp’s prospects of replacing Fabio Capello as England boss ahead of Roy Hodgson.
But more astonishing is the fact the FA attempted to prise the Scotsman away from his beloved United, not once, but twice.
ON RIO FERDINAND…
Ferguson blames the drug testers for allowing Rio Ferdinand to leave Manchester United’s training ground and miss the test that led to the ‘brutal punishment’ of an eight-month ban in 2003.
Ferguson did order the defender to curtail his off-field interests, losing his cool when Ferdinand arranged to interview rap star P Diddy in America.
‘Give me a break Rio, is he going to make you a better centre half?’ said Ferguson.
But Ferguson comes across as a huge admirer of Ferdinand, but he did take issue with the player’s wide-ranging off-the-field interests.
‘His life expanded in more directions than we were happy with’ he writes before revealing that he warned Ferdinand that he would ‘not be with us much longer’ if he didn’t change
ON OWEN HARGREAVES…
Ferguson has identified former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves as one of his worst signings.
Hargreaves joined United in 2007 from Bayern Munich but only started 27 Barclays Premier League games in four seasons.
Ferguson has accused Hargreaves, who later joined Manchester City, of not having ‘nearly enough determination’ and claimed he opted ‘for the easy choice’ in training.
‘When I signed him there was something about him I didn’t like,’ added Ferguson.
DailyMail
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