Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe has revealed he felt he had no choice but to leave the club because of his strained relationship with manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Sharpe spent eight years at Old Trafford before being sold to Leeds United in 1996 for a club record fee.
Sharpe's Old Trafford Exit
Speaking to newbettingsites.uk, Sharpe said: "I didn't want to leave the club. I loved the club. I loved the team, the players, the fans. It was just the manager I wasn't getting on with."
He added: "I wasn't enjoying my football. I don't think he was particularly helping with my game or my life at the time as well."
Ferguson's Criticism
Sharpe claimed Ferguson targeted him over his private life and appearance. "He kicked me out of my house and put me back in digs, sent my girlfriend back to Birmingham. Slagged off my car, my clothes, my friends, my haircuts. You name it, he slagged me off for it. In the end, it just got a little bit too much for me," he said.
Despite the difficulties, Sharpe enjoyed considerable success at United, winning three league titles, two FA Cups, the League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Fond Memories Despite Tensions
Sharpe, an eight-time England international who joined United from Torquay United in 1988, recalled his time fondly. "I had a great time at United. Because of the rules back then, it was predominantly a British team, so everybody spoke the same language. Everyone was on the same wavelength," he said.
He praised teammates Eric Cantona, Andrei Kanchelskis and Peter Schmeichel as "unbelievable players and great lads and great characters as well."
"I had amazing friendships there. Amazing players, amazing times. So I had an unbelievable time. You know, Manchester was kicking off on the music scene. The football club was successful; the Premier League had kicked in, so there was more coverage, and the crowds were bigger. We were playing in front of more people every week. I had a fantastic time. It was just the manager I didn't get on with," he added.
By the time of his departure, injuries had caught up with Sharpe, and he played just 37 times in all competitions in three years at Leeds.
