By Andrew Warshaw
October 23- Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired in the summer after 27 years at the club, has revealed he was asked twice to become manager of England – but refused both times.
Ferguson makes the disclosure in his eagerly-awaited autobiography which is being published on Thursday.
“There was no way I could contemplate that,” he wrote. “It wasn’t a bed of nails I was ever tempted to lie on.”
In a promotional press conference discussing the book, Ferguson, a proud Scot, added: “No way would I have taken that job. It took me about 10 seconds to say no way. I couldn’t manage England in a million years.”
Ferguson’s autobiography provides unprecedented insight into one of world football’s most iconic managers having guided Manchester United to 13 Premier League crowns and two Champions League titles.
He describes Christiano Ronaldo as the “most gifted player” he ever managed, telling the Portuguese wizard at one stage that he would rather “shoot” him than sell him to Real Madrid before later promising the player he could leave Old Trafford the following summer.
Ferguson also expanded on his relationship with David Beckham, claiming the former England captain changed after he met his future pop star wife Victoria and chose the celebrity lifestyle ahead of a football career.
Beckham eventually had to be sold (to Real in 2003), wrote Ferguson, because he had started to think he was bigger than the manager even though he had become “like a son to me.”
At his promotional press conference, Ferguson added: “He fell in love with Victoria and that changed everything. I am a football man. If he had asked my advice when he left Real Madrid for LA Galaxy I would have told him exactly what I thought. Maybe in years to come he will think maybe he should have stayed at Real Madrid but I don’t think I have been too critical. How can you argue with how he has turned out. He’s a marvellous boy. He worked to get to the point where he became a great player.”