Ferguson sends first public message after surgery

Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken publicly for the first time since emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage, thanking everyone for their support.

The ex-Manchester United manager, 76, was admitted to the Salford Royal Hospital in May, and news of Ferguson’s illness sparked a flood of well-wishes from across the football world.

On Thursday, Manchester United posted a video from Ferguson to say thank you as he continues to recover.

“Hello just a quick message, first of all to thank the medical staff at Macclesfield, Salford Royal and Alexandra hospitals,” Ferguson said. “Believe me, without those people, who gave me such great care, I would not be sitting here today. So thank you from me and my family. Thank you very much.

“It has made me feel so humble, as all the messages I have had from all over the world wishing me the best and the good wishes do resonate very, very strongly with me, so thank you for that support you have given me.

“Lastly I’ll be back later in the season to watch the team. In the meantime, all the best to Jose and the players. Thank you very much.”

Wayne Rooney, whom Ferguson signed in 2004 and who went on to become United’s leading all-time scorer, tweeted: “Brilliant to see.”

Edwin van der Sar won the Champions League under Ferguson in 2008 and said: “I had a nice conversation with the boss last week and great to see he is making progress in his recovery. This comes quite close to our situation in 2009 when my wife Annemarie had a brain haemorrhage. He was very supportive as always in close contact the whole time.”

Ferguson retired from managing in 2013 after almost 27 years in charge of United, but he has continued to regularly attend matches and participate in UEFA coaching initiatives.

He remains the most successful manager in British football history with 49 trophies won. Of those, 38 came during his time in charge at Old Trafford, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues.

The Scotsman joined United in 1986 from Aberdeen.

Ferguson lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire with his wife, Cathy Ferguson (née Holding). They married in 1966 and have three sons: Mark (born 1968); and twins Darren (born 1972), who was also a professional footballer and is currently manager of Doncaster Rovers; and Jason, who runs an events management company.

In 1998 Ferguson was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party. He is a self-described socialist. In January 2011 Graham Stringer, a Labour MP in Manchester and Manchester United supporter, called for Ferguson to be made a life peer.[235] Stringer and fellow Manchester Labour MP Paul Goggins repeated this call after Ferguson announced his retirement in May 2013.

In 2009 Ferguson received an honorary doctorate in business administration from the Manchester Metropolitan University.

During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Ferguson supported the Better Together campaign for Scotland remaining a part of the United Kingdom. He criticised the Scottish National Party, and its leader Alex Salmond, for their decision to exclude Scots living outside Scotland, but within the rest of the United Kingdom, from voting in the referendum. He also objected to the self-imposed rule by the Yes Scotland campaign against accepting donations from people living outside Scotland of more than £500, which they urged the No campaign to also adopt.

Ferguson underwent an emergency surgery on 5 May 2018 after suffering a brain haemorrhage

 

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