Manchester United stars were made abundantly clear of one 'bully' in the Liverpool changing room in an infamous rant before the two heavyweights of English football clashed
12:10, 21 Oct 2025
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 24: Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United looks annoyed in the dugout during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford on April 24, 2004 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Sir Alex Ferguson warned his Manchester United about one Liverpool 'bully'(Image: John Peters, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Sir Alex Ferguson's words cut deep and stayed with you forever - just ask former Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince.
It's April 1998 and Ferguson was giving out tactical advice ahead of a Premier League showdown with Liverpool. His attention turned to the Reds' star and ex-United player Ince, who had made the controversial switch to Anfield from Inter Milan the summer before.
Ferguson was bellowing - not quite reaching the decibel levels of his legendary hairdryer rants, but forceful enough to command the complete attention of everyone wearing red. It was during this moment that Ferguson - with Granada documentary cameras rolling for 'the Alex Ferguson Story' - unleashed one of his most memorable put-downs on any player, let alone one of his former stars in Ince, who celebrates his 58th birthday today (October 21).
"If he tries to bully you he will f****** enjoy it. Don't ever let him bully you. Right," the Scotsman was caught saying on film. "You just make sure you are ready for him. That's all you need to worry about. He's a f****** big-time Charlie."
Those closing three words perfectly encapsulated Ferguson's disdain for inflated egos within the dressing room. Come 2008, the Scotsman confessed he wished he'd never made those remarks, branding them a "mistake" whilst vowing never again to permit cameras during his team talks.
BLACKBURN, UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 04: Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Blackburn Rovers Manager Paul Ince watch the action during the Barclays Premier League match between Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United at Ewood Park on October 4, 2008 in Blackburn, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
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Ferguson called Paul Ince a 'big time Charlie'(Image: Laurence Griffiths, Getty Images)
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Ince, also known as the 'Guv'nor', responded to Sir Alex Ferguson's past comments about him. Speaking on behalf of bet365, Ince admitted: "Am I a big time Charlie? Probably, yeah. I played for the biggest clubs in the world. You've got to have that kind of arrogance, not to the extent people don't like you.
"But you've got to have some kind of big-time mindset to play for the biggest clubs in the world. In a way, he was right, but it's nothing that was ever going to affect me because I know how close we were."
A decade after Ferguson's remarks made headlines, the two faced off when Ince managed Blackburn Rovers and Ferguson was still at the helm of Manchester United. Prior to the match, Ferguson expressed regret over his previous words, stating: "I regret saying that.
"That was a mistake. We let a camera into our dressing room, which we had never done before, and it won't happen again. It wasn't a personality issue with Paul. With Paul you could not have a honeymoon all the time, because he was such a volatile character, but he never let us down."
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 07: Manchester United player Paul Ince pictured at the pre-season photocall prior to the 1990/91 season. (Photo by Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images)
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Ince played for Manchester United between 1989 and 1995(Image: Getty Images, Getty Images)
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Reflecting on Ferguson's rare admission of regret, Ince commented: "Listen, people seem to have the impression that me and Sir Alex Ferguson never got on.
"I used to speak to him all the time and when I was managing Blackburn Rovers, I was on the phone to him all the time. When he said it, I was playing for Liverpool and, really, I think he was trying to wind up the likes of Roy Keane and say 'Oh Ince, he's just a big time Charlie' and all this type of stuff.
"Things like that didn't affect me. Maybe it would with players from today, but not Paul Ince back in my time. The fact that he regretted saying it was neither here nor there. The comment did not affect our friendship."
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These days, Ferguson and Ince have maintained their bond with one another. The duo regularly chat on the telephone and continue to compete, though now on a different green surface.
"I will always go to his house and play snooker, and kick his a***, and I will always pick my phone up to ring him," Ince said with a grin, describing the tight relationship they've built over more than 30 years.