Sir Alex Ferguson reveals he ‘turned down’ Arsenal and two other clubs before joining Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he ‘turned down’ three Premier League clubs before taking over at Manchester United.

United’s appointment of Ferguson in 1986 turned out to be an absolute masterstroke, with the Scot going on to spend 26 years in the Old Trafford hot-seat.

Fergie won more trophies than any other manager in history during his time in charge of Manchester United, lifting 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies.

Ferguson was at Scottish club Aberdeen before his appointment at Old Trafford and has revealed he also received offers from United’s rivals Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolves.

Asked if he could have ended up at any English club other than Manchester United, Sir Alex told TNT Sports: ‘I turned down Arsenal and I turned down Wolverhampton Wanderers and I turned down Tottenham.

‘I said [to Aberdeen chairman Dick Donald] that maybe it was time for me to leave, blah, blah, blah, and he said to me “don’t talk like that”.

‘He told me, “you should go only to one club – Manchester United”. I never budged until that came long. When it came along, I couldn’t get there quick enough.

‘I have to say there was a lot of trepidation about it. Travelling down that morning, in the plane with Martin Edwards and the lawyer Maurice Watkins, I was asking a lot of questions and I wasn’t getting all the answers.

‘Wee Gordon Strachan used to phone me quite a lot and I didn’t get a great picture through that. I knew all the players, world-class names in many ways.

‘I was determined to install something I did at Aberdeen and St Mirren, and that was to produce young players.’

While Ferguson retired from football management in 2013, he has acted as a Manchester United ambassador over the last 11 years, though that deal will come to an end at the end of the season.

The decision to remove Fergie as an official club ambassador has been slammed by several high-profile pundits, including Old Trafford hero Paul Scholes.

‘I thought it was a little bit distasteful for what that man has done for the club,’ Scholes said before Manchester United’s Europa League draw with Fenerbahce on Thursday night.

‘Almost a little bit disrespectful but they’re new owners and new owners makes changes and they think what they’re doing is best for the club.

‘If they think they can save whatever money I know it’s been talked about £2million, if they think they can use it elsewhere then so be it.

‘This club owes a lot to Sir Alex Ferguson. It’s where it is now mainly because of the success he had for so many years.

‘The timing of it was poor because you think they’re in a really bad run of form, could you have waited or done it before the season started, at the end of the season.’

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