EXCLUSIVE: Sir Alex Ferguson did not always part with his players on good terms at Manchester United, but he is still close friends with one of his ex-stars
Sir Alex Ferguson delivering a team talk in 1998
Sir Alex Ferguson knew his way around a classic insult(Image: @ClassicManUtdVideos/Youtube)
Sir Alex Ferguson's insults stung like venom and clung to you like velcro - just ask ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Ince.
It is April 1998 and Ferguson was delivering instructions, before a Premier League clash against Liverpool. He focused on Merseysiders star and ex-United midfielder Paul Ince, who had joined Liverpool from Inter Milan the previous summer.
Ferguson is shouting, not quite at the same ear-bleeding levels as one of his classic hairdryer treatments, but loud enough for anybody in a United shirt to take notice and not dare stop listening. It was then, Ferguson - in front of cameras that were allowed behind the scenes to film the Granada documentary 'the Alex Ferguson Story' - delivered one of his most unforgettable insults.
"If he tries to bully you he will f***ing enjoy it. Don't ever let him bully you. Right," the Scot was captured saying on the cameras. "You just make sure you are ready for him. That's all you need to worry about. He's a f***ing big-time Charlie."
Those final three words summed up Ferguson's attitude towards egos in the dressing room. In 2008, the Scot admitted he regretted those comments, describing them as a "mistake" before pledging to never allow a camera to record any of his pep talks again.
Yet, if anybody agreed with Ferguson, it was Ince himself. In an exclusive interview with the Manchester Evening News, the 'Guv'nor', speaking on behalf of bet365 said: "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.”
Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson shares a joke with Blackburn Rovers Manager Paul Ince (R) prior to the start of the Barclays Premier League match between Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United at Ewood Park on October 4, 2008 in Blackburn, England
Ferguson admitted he regretted his comments before facing Ince as a manager
Ten years after Ferguson's words were splashed on everybody's screen, the Scot was in the dugout against Ince, who was manager of Blackburn Rovers. Before the game, the ex-United boss said: "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."
Going back to Ferguson's admission of regret, something that was incredibly rare throughout his career and after, Ince said: "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.
Paul Ince standing in front of a bet365 advertisement board promoting the Champions League final
Ince was speaking on behalf of bet365(Image: Hatch Group)
"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."
Nowadays, Ferguson and Ince have remained close with each other. The pair regularly exchange phone calls and are still in competition, albeit on a different green playing 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 smile on his face, summing up the close relationship they have forged over more than 30 years.
Paul Ince/Claude Makélélé was speaking on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League. bet365 have given away more than 3000 UEFA Champions League tickets to fans this season, including the semi-finals and final. Full Terms and Conditions apply. Gamble Responsibly. Full interview can be found at bet365 News.