Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary former Manchester United manager, was taken to hospital from Old Trafford on Saturday after feeling unwell ahead of the Premier League clash with Liverpool.
The 84-year-old received precautionary medical care and is expected to recover at home shortly. A fixture regular at United’s home and away games, Ferguson arrived at the stadium early for the high-stakes match against rivals Liverpool. He was transported to the hospital more than an hour before kick-off.
Health History and Resilience
Ferguson, who retired as Manchester United manager in 2013 after securing 13 Premier League titles, has faced significant health challenges. In 2018, he suffered a brain haemorrhage requiring life-saving surgery. Doctors gave him just a 20 percent chance of survival, but he pulled through.
‘There were five brain haemorrhages that day,’ Ferguson recalled in his 2021 documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In. ‘Three died. Two survived. You know you are lucky.’
Officials confirm no connection between this latest episode and his previous medical issue.
Personal Losses and Club Ties
Ferguson endured profound grief in 2023 with the death of his wife, Lady Cathy, after 57 years of marriage. She was also 84 at the time.
Despite stepping away from his paid ambassador role in 2024 amid cost-cutting efforts led by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ferguson remains a constant presence in the directors’ box.
Ratcliffe detailed their discussion: ‘I sat down with Alex, just the two of us in the room. And I said, “Look, the club isn’t where you may think it is. It is spending more than it’s earning and we’re going to finish up in some difficulties. Honestly, we can’t really afford to continue to pay you £2m a year.” I said, “I’m going to leave it with you, let you have a think about it.” It was very grown up. Maybe a little bit grumpy at the beginning, but he got it.’
‘He came back three days later, after talking to his son and said, “Fine, I’m going to step away from it. My decision,”‘ Ratcliffe added. ‘I think it reflects really well on Alex because he put the club before himself.’
