Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he was “terrified” about returning to Old Trafford after suffering a brain haemorrhage and undergoing emergency surgery in 2018.
The former Manchester United manager had been admitted to intensive care at Salford Royal Hospital after falling ill in May that year. His first appearance back at the stadium came less than four months later, when United drew 1-1 with Wolves.
Ferguson, who is now 84, said he was uncertain how supporters would respond when he returned to the director’s box.
“I was terrified. I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn’t,” he told BBC Breakfast.
The announcement of his presence was met with loud applause from the Old Trafford crowd. Ferguson attended the match with his wife, who he said was “nearly crying” before telling him: “That’s fantastic.”
“It’s one of those things. That’s the generosity of our support and recognising my time there,” Ferguson said.
He remains a regular presence at Manchester United matches and said he was in reasonably good health despite what he had experienced.
“I’m feeling quite good despite small injuries,” he said.
Ferguson also recalled the frightening impact the haemorrhage had on his speech. “I had lost my voice; I couldn’t speak,” he said.
He remembered his grandsons visiting him while he was unable to talk, before a therapist helped him begin to recover by asking him to write down the names of birds, animals and rivers.
