Alex Ferguson has sat down with American broadcaster Charlie Rose for an hour-long interview in which he dishes on his fraught relationships with David Beckham and Wayne Rooney, and Chelsea’s desire to land him as their manager.

Ferguson extended an olive branch to both Beckham and Rooney, singing their praises as people and athletes.

On David Beckham:

He is an amazing boy. I mean how he has created himself. He’s an icon for young people. He’s fantastic, a wonderful boy. He always had a lovely smile, you know, and he always presents himself well, but as a young kid when I got him at 12 years of age his great desire was to play some of the best football. He was a fantastic trainer, practised all the time and at night-time, he would come by with the schoolboys and practise with them. And then of course, his life changed, when he married the girl from The Spice Girls and his focus changed. He got drawn into that celebrity status, you know? And for me, I’m a football man. I’m a football man. He lost the focus, but when we sold him to Real Madrid, he did well.

He’s unbelievable. He really is – and good, well done to him. I mean, he’s – you can’t argue with the status he has in life. But for me, it would have pleased me more to see him be a great, great player, you know? But how can I argue with life? He’s an icon for young people… and represents himself the proper way. And I say: ‘Well done.’

On Roman Abramovich approaching him for the role of Chelsea manager:

He used an agent when he first came. They approached me and I said, no, no. No chance. I said: ‘No chance. Manchester United is my team. My club.’

Read the whole thing, here.

[Source : The Telegraph]