Manchester City assistant manager Brian Kidd has refuted reports
that he has a strained relationship with Manchester United boss Sir
Alex Ferguson, who he worked alongside for nine years.
Kidd and Ferguson enjoyed unprecedented success together at Old
Trafford, guiding United to their first league title in 26 years in
1993 before winning two Doubles in three seasons in 1993-94 and
1995-96 and a further Premier League crown in 1997.
But after Kidd left to pursue an ultimately unsuccessful
managerial career with Blackburn - his Rovers side were condemned
to relegation by United in 1999, four years after they had won the
league - Ferguson gave a stinging assessment of his former
colleague in his autobiography.
The Scot described his former assistant as a "complex person,
often quite insecure", and claimed that the board viewed him as a
person "with a natural inclination to complain". Ferguson also
accused Kidd of going behind his back to moan about training and
questioned whether he could cut it as a manager.
But despite being a victim of an apparent character
assassination, Kidd insists there is no animosity between the two
and he fully expects an invite to Ferguson's office after this
Saturday's Manchester derby.
"I've never even talked about it with him because I don't think
there's ever been a cause to," Kidd told The Guardian.
"And I will always appreciate what he's done for me. You can't buy
those wonderful memories.
"I'm relaxed about it all. As I say, I know how I feel; that's
all I can say. Other people might feel differently.
"[I have] no regrets. There's life before Old Trafford, there's
life after it. You get on with it, don't you? It was my decision,
no problem. I've been very, very lucky and blessed in my football
career. No regrets at all.
"With the gaffer [Ferguson], you always do [expect an invite to
his office]. It happens less and less in football these days, but
that's one club where you can always go and have a drink."