Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that he worries about potentially being diagnosed with dementia, speaking candidly in a rare interview. The legendary former Manchester United manager, who spent 27 years at the helm of the English club, expressed his concerns about the lasting impact of his playing career.
Concerns over heading the ball
Before stepping into management, Ferguson played for Rangers, Falkirk and Ayr United in his native Scotland. It is this playing career that has left him most concerned, with the 84-year-old open and honest about his fears regarding a dementia diagnosis.
Speaking to The Observer, Ferguson remarked: “I worried about that myself because I headed the ball a lot. All footballers did. Dementia’s a challenge for anyone getting older. You worry about it a lot. I always say to myself: ‘I’m 84 [laughing]. If I get to 85, I’ll be all right.’”
Music and memories
Ferguson also spoke about a music initiative in Glasgow, saying: “In Glasgow, they started a music thing [Playlist for Life, a music and dementia charity], and the idea is that you give them a box with all your favourite songs in it. They can just press a button to play them, and it brings all the memories back.”
The interview came ahead of the release of Ferguson’s new memoir, which details his life story in 21 matches. While some chapters touch on his time as a player, the bulk focuses on his managerial career, particularly his years at Old Trafford.
Loyalty of United fans
On his connection with Manchester United, Ferguson remarked: “The great thing about supporting United is that you have those highs when they turn it on and win a big game. It’s always an exciting way that they do it. There’s no kick it up the park and win a free kick. The way I look at it is – I still enjoy going because the support is always there.
“I’m saying to myself: ‘75,000, every week.’ There can’t be a more loyal fanbase than that. People say it’s going back to the Munich air disaster [and afterwards]. I still hang on to that a bit, because there were always these great players around in my time. Denis Law used to come into training. Nobby Stiles was a youth coach with me for a while. And Bobby Charlton …[an] absolutely magnificent man.”
