Sir Alex Ferguson breaks silence on emergency brain surgery

Sir Alex Ferguson’s connection to Manchester United has remained as strong as ever since his 2013 retirement, with the Scot a regular fixture in the directors’ box at Old Trafford.

That presence was noticeably different when he arrived for United’s win over Ipswich Town in August, pictured in a protective boot and leaning on a walking stick as he made his way into the stadium.

Journalist Alan Nixon later revealed Ferguson had been “secretly” nursing the injury for months, having slipped during a hospital visit back in May, an issue serious enough to prevent him from travelling to watch Scotland at this summer’s World Cup.

That hospital trip in May came only weeks after an earlier scare, when Sir Alex Ferguson was taken away by ambulance from Old Trafford itself after feeling unwell before United’s clash with Liverpool.

Despite those setbacks, the 84-year-old has continued attending games throughout the season, and was recently named the greatest manager in Premier League history by BBC Sport, topping a list of ten selected by the broadcaster’s commentators.

Amid that honour, Ferguson has now given a far more personal interview, reflecting candidly on the most serious health crisis of his life.

Sir Alex Ferguson breaks silence on emergency brain surgery

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ferguson opened up for the first time in detail about the terror he felt during his 2018 brain haemorrhage, which required emergency surgery and left him facing a gruelling recovery.

“I was terrified. I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn’t,” he admitted.

Ferguson described the sudden loss of his voice as one of the most distressing parts of the ordeal, particularly when his grandsons came to visit him in hospital.

“I had lost my voice; I couldn’t speak,” he explained.

“That was a frightening moment. I remember my grandsons coming to see me and I had lost my voice.”

He credited speech therapy with gradually restoring his ability to communicate, adding, “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.

“That way my voice came back.”

Remarkably, Ferguson made his emotional return to Old Trafford less than four months after the surgery, taking his familiar seat to support the club he guided to 13 league titles and two Champions League crowns across 26 years in charge.

He is now promoting his newly released book, Games of My Life, giving him a fresh platform to reflect on both his managerial career and the health battles he has faced since stepping away from football.