Sir Alex Ferguson 'let off SAS grenade' when player told him he wanted to leave club

Sir Alex Ferguson would be furious when players told him they wanted to leave a club.

Ferguson is heralded among the greatest managers in history, after winning 38 trophies across 26 years at Manchester United, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues.

But before United, the Scot enjoyed a successful eight-year spell at Aberdeen, where he won three Scottish league championships, four Scottish Cups and both the Cup Winners' Cup and the Super Cup in 1983.

And according to Gordon Strachan, who played under Ferguson at Pittodrie Stadium, the 82-year-old had already adopted his famous ‘hairdryer’ management style while at Aberdeen.

Strachan described being lambasted by Ferguson when asking to leave the club back in 1982, comparing the manager’s rage to a SAS stun grenade.

He explained via Sweep.io: "Alex McLeish and I decided to go in and speak to Sir Alex about getting transferred after the 1982 World Cup. We had a £25 rise in our wages for playing at a World Cup, we thought we could go and play anywhere in the world. We both decided to go into his office, one after another, but Sir Alex must have known we were both coming.

"So Big Alex, being smart, said that I should go in first because I was the oldest. I walked into the office and Sir Alex sat there behind the desk. I said to him, 'Gaffer, I've been here for about four-and-a-half years and I think it is about time for me to move on.'

"He just looked at me and I'm not really sure what happened after that, it was like a small explosion. You know when you see the SAS chuck in a stun grenade that explodes and it just leaves everyone shocked and disorientated? Well, something like that happened!

"Sir Alex obviously knew McLeish was outside and screamed, 'Aye and take him outside with you.' Big Alex had obviously heard the explosion from outside the office and didn't leave the club for another 15 years.

"I only found out about 10 years ago that Real Madrid wanted to buy me from Aberdeen, so they phoned Sir Alex and he just said no. I wouldn't have changed my career for anything, but I only found that out about 20 years after it happened."

Topics: Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United, Aberdeen, Football

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.