There are a fair few of us who had not lived to see Manchester United managed by anyone other than Sir Alex Ferguson until the beginning of this season. The man is a legend – and like any legend, his post-retirement book is set to be cracker full of insider gossip. The man has got 26 years of pent-up issues, and he’s letting them all slide in his new hardcover. Here are some of the things we learned from his book.

First of all, Sir Alex clears up the fog on Rooney, stating unequivocally that the balding striker came into his office at the end of last season and asked him if he could leave. Though Rooney denies ever handing in a transfer request, Ferguson is firm on the fact that Wayne came into his office after the title-winning game against Aston Villa with his agent Paul Stretford and tried to wriggle away from United. Ferguson also claims that Rooney wanted United to pursue Mesut Özil in the transfer window, but that that was “none of his business”.  (Nice tip there, Wayne).

It also emerged that losing Beckham was one of Ferguson’s biggest regrets, after he admitted that Beckham was “like a son” to him. However, Ferguson believes that Beckham had forgotten what had made him a star in the first place, and that this was reflected in his nonchalant attitude on the training ground.

The whole Beckham debacle came to a notorious end when, in 2003, he failed to track back and defend an Arsenal goal at Old Trafford – so he kicked a boot at him in the dressing room which hit him across the head. When the player was photographed the next day, the furious United manager decided to sell him.

The book is set to be a cracker full of ridiculous football truisms of the Ferguson era, but don’t expect any info on why Ferguson chose Moyes as his replacement – the jury is still out on that.

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[Source : The Guardian]