Manchester United legend Gary Neville has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson would have dealt with one current first-team player under manager Erik ten Hag.
Sir Alex Ferguson was a commanding figure during his legendary career at Old Trafford and the Manchester United legend had a no-nonsense approach.
The 82-year-old wasn’t afraid to axe players from the Premier League club if they stepped out of line and ensured his authority as the manager remained unquestioned.
Ferguson swiftly sold the likes of Jaap Stam and Roy Keane, while the Scotsman would even put his United players on blast with his infamous hairdryer treatment.
Gary Neville played his entire club career under the former United manager and was a key locker-room figure for Ferguson towards the end of his career.
Ferguson would rely on his senior players to maintain order and discipline among the ranks, with five club legends once serving as influential figures in the dressing room.
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Neville on Ferguson’s approach to Marcus Rashford
Erik ten Hag has had to deal with an “internal matter” regarding Marcus Rashford after the Manchester United star was spotted visiting Belfast nightclubs last week.
Rashford missed United’s training session last Friday due to illness and the England international missed his side’s 4-2 FA Cup win over Newport County on Sunday.
United have since released a statement and said that the 26-year-old Three Lions star has apologised for his mistake and they consider the matter resolved.
Speaking on BBC, Gary Neville was asked how Sir Alex Ferguson would have dealt with Rashford if the United star had played under the Scotsman.
The 48-year-old United legend admitted that Rashford would have received a “dressing down” from legendary former Red Devils boss Ferguson.
“He [Ferguson] would have given him a dressing down, but he would have said similar things, make sure you do it at the right moments, nobody ever says to a football player you can’t go out,” Neville said.
“But when you have a game three days later and Marcus knows himself, he’s an experienced player now and he’s done this a few times.
“I’ve always seen him as being really responsible, professional and someone who works hard every day.
“He’s going through a dip in form right now, but this has happened once or twice and it can become your personality if you’re not careful.
“If you do it too many times, people wonder what is going on in your life, so he just needs to relax, calm down, choose when to go out and get back to playing football at the levels he can.”
Neville’s take on Rashford situation
Neville insisted that players should be allowed to head out and “enjoy themselves,” but the Sky Sports pundit insisted that it was all about the “choices and timing” of it.
“Well, that happened quite a bit [players going out] when I was at the club where there were many of us, 20-odd, in a dressing room, young men,” he said.
“For me, going out for a drink or a night out is something every football player should and will do, so I’ve got absolutely no problem with that. They need to enjoy themselves.
“But it’s all about choices and timing and I said this after the Manchester City game at home.
“We got beat at home against City and he went out that night to Chinawhite, I think it was his birthday.
“Then they had a game against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup after that and I just said, ‘Look, choose your time.’
“United had just had a winter break and a few weeks off, so that was a better moment for him to go out. Your timing has to be right.”
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