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"I was terrified," says Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the fiercest, most explosive and most decorated managers in football history.
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Ferguson → terrify → history
The legendary former Manchester United boss is recalling the day he returned to Old Trafford for the first time after suffering a brain haemorrhage in May 2018.
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he → recall → May
Four months after emergency surgery, Ferguson - famous for his 'hairdryer treatment' when United dominated English football - was back to watch his beloved club take on Wolves in the Premier League.
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club → dominate → League
The man responsible for making the dreams of United fans around the world come true for once was unsure of the reception he would receive from supporters.
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he → make → supporters
"I wish I could say I was comfortable.
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I → wish → ?
I wasn't," Ferguson tells BBC Breakfast.
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Ferguson → tell → Breakfast
He need not have worried.
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He → worry → ?
Ferguson and his wife Cathy received a standing ovation when they took their seats in the directors' box before kick-off.
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they → receive → off
"My wife was with me, and she was nearly crying.
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she → cry → me
When we sat down, she said 'that's fantastic'.
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that → sit → ?
"
Ferguson had been retired five years - after winning 38 trophies during 26 years in charge of United - at the time of his brain haemorrhage, aged 76.
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Ferguson → retire → haemorrhage
Now three months short of 85, he says: "I'm feeling quite good despite small injuries."
The Scot has a new book coming out - 'Games of My Life'.
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Scot → say → Life
It tells the stories of 21 defining matches in his playing and managerial career, revealing fresh insights into his journey from working-class Glasgow to dominating the English game - and Europe - as United boss.
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It → tell → boss
Ferguson is thankful he is able to talk about the games that helped shape him.
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that → talk → him
"I had lost my voice; I couldn't speak," he says about the days immediately after brain surgery.
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he → lose → surgery
I remember my grandsons coming to see me and I had lost my voice.
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I → remember → voice
"Then they brought in a therapist and she started doing things like asking me to write down the names of birds, names of animals, names of rivers.
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she → bring → rivers
"That way my voice came back."
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voice → come → ?
'I almost quit football for Canada'
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I → quit → Canada
Ferguson won the lot during his time in charge of United between 1986 and 2013, including 13 Premier League titles.
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Ferguson → win → titles
He transformed them into a winning machine, and the history and tradition of United ran red through his veins.
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history → transform → veins
As well as delivering two Champions League titles, Ferguson masterminded five FA Cup triumphs, won the League Cup four times and added the Club World Cup, European Super Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and the Intercontinental Cup to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.
In his book, Ferguson has picked standout games in his career, from winning his first cup final playing for Govan High School in Glasgow in 1955 at the age of 13 through to his retirement as a manager in 2013.
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Ferguson → deliver → 2013
"That was my starting point," he says, holding the medal he received after that cup win 71 years ago.
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he → say → win
"I played for Glasgow Schools, Scotland Schools and the Scotland youth team.
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I → play → Schools
The starting point of my career was there and I can look back with great satisfaction.
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I → look → satisfaction
Ferguson describes growing up in Govan as "the making of me".
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Ferguson → describe → me
He says he developed his inner confidence from his mother Elizabeth and a drive to succeed from his father Alexander, who worked in the Govan shipyards on the River Clyde.
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who → say → Clyde
"He was so proud of me and my brother," says Ferguson.
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Ferguson → say → me
"He was a hard taskmaster because whenever I scored a hat-trick or a goal, my mother would say 'that's great, son'."
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that → score → trick
His father, meanwhile, offered tough constructive criticism however many goals Ferguson had scored.
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Ferguson → offer → goals
After making his debut as a 16-year-old striker for Queen's Park, Ferguson ended up at St Johnstone, where he endured a frustrating spell and nearly quit football for a new life in Canada.
"
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he → make → Canada
I wasn't enjoying it.
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I → enjoy → it
I wasn't playing first-team football; I was in the reserves all the time," he says.
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he → play → reserves
"I filled out all the forms and phoned my aunt in Canada, because you needed a sponsor then, and never told my mother and father."
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you → fill → mother
The next day St Johnstone, decimated by a flu bug in the team, arrived at Ibrox to take on Rangers.
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Johnstone → decimate → Rangers
A 21-year-old Ferguson was promoted to the starting XI and scored a hat-trick.
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Ferguson → promote → trick
That life-changing performance in 1963 revived his playing career and set him on the path to becoming one of football's greatest managers.
"I would say this to young people - don't miss the biggest opportunity in your life.
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I → change → life
It's recognising it.
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It → recognise → it
'Don't sell Ince to Inter - or you'll regret it'
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you → sell → it
Ferguson is sat in front of a table for the interview, which was conducted before the Premier League announced on Tuesday that Manchester City had been found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of financial regulations between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
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City → sit → 2009
…and 37 more, not listed.
The Aporia
