Sir Alex Ferguson was famous for his hairdryer treatments and his former Manchester United players went to great lengths to avoid him at the club's Carrington training ground
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Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson rarely let players off the hook with his hairdryer treatment
(Image: Manchester United/Getty Images)
A former Manchester United ace has spilled the beans on how the squad would dodge Sir Alex Ferguson's notorious 'hairdryer' treatment by hiding in the gym. The iconic ex-United boss was famed for his fiery outbursts, and it was rare for players to avoid his scathing critiques when performances didn't meet his expectations.
The stories of Sir Alex's stern reprimands in the dressing room during half-time or post-match are legendary. Perhaps the most well-known episode saw David Beckham needing stitches in 2003 after a boot flung by the fiery Scotsman hit him in the face.
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But now, ex-United keeper Ben Foster has revealed that Ferguson's fury wasn't confined to match days; it was a regular feature at the training ground too. Foster, who was with United from 2005 to 2010, disclosed that players would go to extreme lengths to steer clear of Sir Alex at Carrington following a defeat.
Besides taking refuge in the gym, the former Watford and Wrexham goalie mentioned they would also give the canteen a wide berth because it was situated too close to the gaffer's office. "He had loads of moments and it wasn't just in the changing rooms - it was around the training ground as well," Foster said on the Breaking Beard podcast.
"If we had a bad result on a Saturday, for example, you knew on Monday morning to just steer clear of him. You wouldn't even go to the canteen, because his office was next to the canteen. You wouldn't walk up that way because you knew there was a chance he might be there, and you didn't want to see him or lock eyes with him."
"You'd just hide away in the gym because he would take that into the Monday. If we lost, had a bad performance or something just really irked him on the Saturday, he would carry it with him for days, and everybody knew it."
Cristiano Ronaldo and Mikael Silvestre
Ben Foster (far left) pictured with his Manchester United teammates
Foster has lauded Sir Alex for his strict discipline but questioned if such methods would fly with today's players. Foster spoke candidly about how current footballers tend to reject harsh criticism.
He said: "I think that's the beauty of him that they don't make him like him anymore...and I don't even know if it would work in today's football because modern football is so much softer than it used to be. You can't get at modern footballers anymore and you can't shout at them. You have to be nicey-nicey with them, and put an arm around them."
Foster's reflections echo those of another ex-Red Devil, Nicky Butt, who recounted an intense moment from his youth involving Sir Alex. Last year, Butt shared the story of when Ferguson sought him out at school to reprimand him over poor academic efforts.
Nicky Butt during his playing days with Sir Alex Ferguson
Nicky Butt during his playing days with Sir Alex Ferguson
Butt disclosed, while chatting with fellow former United player Paul Scholes on the Football's Greatest Eras podcast, the degree to which Sir Alex would involve himself in their personal development during their early footballing careers.
He said: "I remember in school, I was a bit of a jack the lad. I was walking in late. I remember seeing an S class (Mercedes) parked outside the entrance. I would have been 14 or 15, maybe.
"I walked in, there was a reception and they said, 'Oh, the head Mr. Embassy wants you'. I had to go to his office and I walked in thinking, 'I'm only late, I've got to sign in late and I'll be fine'."
"Sir Alex was sat in the office with the teacher and he came at me like you wouldn't believe. (He said) 'If you don't listen to this man, I'll make sure you do what's right by him. Do what's right or you won't play for this football club, you won't get in.' I was like that (stunned)."
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