"I was terrified," says Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the fiercest, most explosive and most decorated managers in football 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. 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.
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. "I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn't," Ferguson tells BBC Breakfast.
Ferguson and his wife Cathy received a standing ovation when they took their seats in the directors' box before kick-off. "My wife was with me, and she was nearly crying. When we sat down, she said 'that's fantastic'." 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.
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'. 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. Ferguson is thankful he is able to talk about the games that helped shape him.
"I had lost my voice; I couldn't speak," he says about the days immediately after brain surgery. "That was a frightening moment. "I remember my grandsons coming to see me and I had lost my 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. Unseen pictures in new Sir Alex Ferguson book detailing his favourite games Ferguson won the lot during his time in charge of United between 1986 and 2013, including 13 Premier League titles. He transformed them into a winning machine, and the history and tradition of United ran red through his veins.
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