Former Manchester United and Newcastle United midfielder Liam O'Brien has revealed the explosive phone call in which Sir Alex Ferguson reacted furiously to his departure from Old Trafford in 1988. In his new book 'Pass Master', O'Brien recounts how he informed Ferguson he had signed for Newcastle, prompting a furious tirade from the legendary manager before he slammed the phone down.
O'Brien, seeking greater financial security for his family, turned down a contract offer from United worth just £400 per week. Without an agent, he negotiated his move to Newcastle in a motorway service station. When he broke the news to Ferguson, the Scot was far from impressed. 'He went through me,' O'Brien recalled. 'Who did I think I was walking out of a club like Manchester United?' Ferguson refused to speak to him for months afterwards.
Despite the frosty exit, O'Brien insists he has no regrets about leaving United, even with the club's subsequent dominance under Ferguson. 'No, I didn't and don't now, all these years later,' he said. O'Brien went on to become a fan favourite at Newcastle, playing a key role in Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers' and helping the club rise from the second tier to European competition within two years.
O'Brien also reflected on the transformative impact of Sir John Hall and Kevin Keegan at Newcastle. He recalled a tense 1992 match at Leicester City where an own goal from Steve Walsh secured a 2-1 victory, ensuring the club's Second Division survival and setting the stage for future success. 'We didn't know what would happen if we lost,' O'Brien said of the atmosphere at Filbert Street.
