United's Ferguson: 'I Almost Quit Football For Canada'

Poignant SG

Manchester United's dominance of English football might never have materialised had Sir Alex Ferguson given into his initial reaction to a severe facial injury and left Great Britain while a player at St Johnstone.

However, the Scotsman, famed for possessing a no-nonsense approach to his high-profile players, received a "hairdryer" treatment of his own - from his mother - and restored his faith in the sport when he struck a hat-trick the next day against Rangers.

Manchster United fans will thank her for the intervention as Ferguson, now 68, has acted as a trophy-magnet during his managerial years, transforming Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen, and current Manchester United outfit into European champions.

The two-time Champions League winning boss said to Press Association Sport: "I was part-time and in a reserve game against Airdrie I broke my eyebrow, cheekbone and nose and was out for months. They put this massive plaster cast on my face.

"After I came back from the injury I played three reserve games. We lost 8-1, 7-0 and 9-2. I said 'That's it - I am finished'. I took out papers to emigrate to Canada.

"On the Friday, my brother's girlfriend phoned up my manager at St Johnstone and told him I had the flu. But when I arrived home from a night at the swimming baths with my pals, my mother tore into me.

"She said, 'I've had a telegram from your manager - get down to the telephone booth and call him'. The manager said: 'Report to the Bath Hotel tomorrow, you're playing against Rangers'."

Ferguson then claimed that the events that unfolded altered his destiny.

"I scored a hat trick and became the first player to do so against Rangers at Ibrox - it changed my life. I became a full-time footballer in the summer and never looked back."

Poignant SG

• Manchester United manager almost left game as a player
• 'We lost 8-1, 7-0 and 9-2. I said, That's it – I am finished'

Sir Alex Ferguson on a visit to his former school, Govan high school, which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

The Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has revealed he was so disillusioned with professional football at one point in his playing career that he almost quit the game and came close to emigrating to Canada.

However, he had a change of heart after harsh words from his mother and responded with a "life-changing" hat-trick against Rangers.

Ferguson, 68, may be the most successful British manager of all time but back in the 1960s he was struggling to make his mark as centre-forward with St Johnstone.

"I was part-time and in a reserve game against Airdrie I broke my eyebrow, cheekbone and nose and was out for months. They put this massive plaster cast on my face," he said. "After I came back from the injury I played three reserve games. We lost 8-1, 7-0 and 9-2. I said 'that's it – I am finished'. I took out papers to emigrate to Canada.

"She said, 'I've had a telegram from your manager – get down to the telephone booth and call him.' The manager said: 'Report to the Bath Hotel tomorrow, you're playing against Rangers.'

"I scored a hat-trick and became the first player to do so against Rangers at Ibrox – it changed my life. I became a full-time footballer in the summer and never looked back."

Ferguson, who related the story to students in Glasgow, also gave an insight into how football has changed. He is in his 24th year at Old Trafford and has won over 30 trophies, including 11 Premier League titles and two European Cups.

United, who are looking to make it an unprecedented four successive Premier League crowns, are at home to struggling Portsmouth on Saturday. Ferguson is as driven as ever but is not certain many share his undying love for the game.

"Young players now are more fragile, they are more cocooned," he said. "They are encouraged by an insatiable press to think they are better than they really are, and they are protected by their agents. But you have to deal with that in sport now. You have to be very conciliatory."