Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson shared a spine-tingling message in the wake of “rumours” that some of his players could leave Old Trafford.
That is according to Rio Ferdinand, who revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson was well aware of the threat that one man posed to Manchester United’s dominance.
Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out of Old Trafford as United manager after the Red Devils captured their last Premier League title at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
The 82-year-old legendary Scotsman engineered all 13 of United’s Premier League title wins during an incredible period of dominance over English football.
Ferguson, who has remained an ever-present figure at Old Trafford, is widely regarded as one of the best managers of all time after his impact on the sport.
The United legend was the first manager in history to lead an English club to a continental treble, with the Red Devils pulling off the feat in the 1998-99 campaign.
Ferdinand on Ferguson’s Man Utd message
Despite his incredible 26-year reign at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson oversaw both the highs and lows during his remarkable managerial spell at Manchester United.
The iconic Scot saw his dominance over English football challenged by legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Arsene Wenger led the Gunners to three Premier League titles, including the famed ‘Invincibles’ side capturing the trophy in the 2003-04 campaign.
Ferguson shared a famous rivalry with the 75-year-old Frenchman, but the ex-United manager was able to reassert the Red Devils’ dominance over English football.
But the Aberdeen and United legend faced another major test to his dominant reign with the arrival of former Porto boss Jose Mourinho arriving at Chelsea in 2004.
Speaking in the upcoming BBC Sport documentary Sir Alex, Rio Ferdinand revealed that Ferguson sent a clear-cut – and powerful – message to his United players.
“When Jose Mourinho came into Chelsea in the summer of 2004 there were rumours that I and various other players might be leaving,” he said, as per BBC Sport.
“But he was like, ‘Listen, we’re going to build this team and you’re going to be one of the main parts of it.’”
Ferdinand’s reaction to Ferguson’s Man Utd rallying call
Jose Mourinho, much like Arsene Wenger, had a fierce rivalry with Ferguson and the ‘Special One’ challenged the Scot’s control over English football.
The 61-year-old Portuguese manager won back-to-back Premier League titles with Chelsea during his battles with United legend Ferguson.
However, Ferguson once again overcame the challenges facing him and the Scotsman continued to enjoy success up until his retirement from football in 2013.
“He was like, ‘Just stay with me,’ Ferdinand continued.
“And he’s probably the only manager at that time in the world that I would have listened to like that.
“He said, ‘Just trust me. I don’t get things wrong often when it’s football. Stay with me and we’ll get this right.’
“I was just like, ‘I’m there. I’m behind you, I believe in you.’”
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