Speaking in his first big interview following his retirement as manager of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has lifted the lid on a multitude of topics as he recovers from a hip operation in his New York apartment.
Fergsuon, 71, spoke to PBS’ Charlie Rose on Tuesday night, and revealed how the West London side tried to lure him to Stamford Bridge.
“They used an agent to approach me when Abramovich first took over the club and I said: ‘No chance.’”
So, there you have it.
But that wasn’t the only interesting tidbit to come from Ferguson’s sit-down, oh no. He revealed he fully supports new manager David Moyes despite a tough start, and said he will never return as manager of Manchester United.
“United are in good hands with David Moyes,” Ferguson said. “He will be fine. He’s a good manager.”
And then Fergie, who won 38 trophies in 26 years in charge at United, dismissed any chance whatsoever of him making a dramatic return to management.
Part of me wants to believe Ferguson will be sat at a table, sipping on a nice glass of red overlooking the rolling hills of Central Italy, but I can’t help but conjure up an image in my mind of Fergie furiously tapping his watch, chewing on a huge wad of gum, as the waiter takes an age to serve the meal.
But I guess that’s what the future has in store for Ferguson.
On a serious note, it will surely take him plenty of time to adjust to life outside of soccer. He has said he will never return as manager... but if United continue to struggle under Moyes and the Red Devils made a desperate call to Ferguson for help, would he really turn it down?
Don’t forget, he made a massive U-turn in 2002 when he announced his retirement for the first time, then back tracked and went on to coach for another 10 years, winning Premier League titles and Champions League crowns.
Not saying Ferguson’s return is imminent, but can we really rule it out?