Ferguson's urgency is rooted in the terrifying ordeal he endured at Salford Royal six years ago. Detailing the life-or-death stakes of his brain surgery, he explained: "My world came perilously close to ending. On the day they operated on me at Salford Royal, four other patients also had surgery for the same complaint. Only two of us lived to tell the tale. The fact that less than half of us were still alive at the end of that day shows how many factors have to click into place for the ending to be a happy one.
"I survived, not because I received special treatment, but due to a series of fortunate events: I had quick-witted family members around me; well-informed advice was readily available; the paramedics knew exactly what to do; I received a timely pair of scans; the doctors operated as soon as they could; and I received wonderful care during my recovery. My heart goes out to the families of those who weren't as fortunate as me that day. I'm lucky I'm still here."
That brush with mortality made his eventual return to Old Trafford for a 1-1 draw against Wolves all the more poignant.
"From the moment I got out of the car at the stadium, I felt as if an entire community was opening its heart to me," he recalled. "It was overwhelming. I felt like I was returning to a familiar and much-loved cocoon. It was an extraordinary feeling. It signalled that I hadn't been forgotten, which I imagine is the fear of many retirees.
"I know that sounds daft, when my name is plastered on one of the stands at Old Trafford and there is a statue of me and a street that bears my name outside the ground. But, when you are lying by yourself in a hospital bed, it's all too easy to think that the rest of the world never knew you existed."