Sir Alex Ferguson rules out return to management at CST lunch

Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out returning to football management and hailed his Manchester United successor’s “dignity” at Community Security Trust lunch.

The Premiership’s most successful manager was interviewed by Sky News presenter Eamon Holmes in front of 200 guests at the Midland Hotel in Manchester yesterday. Sir Alex said he has not looked back since retiring as Man U boss and would not consider a return to management.

Following the departure of his hand-picked successor David Moyes towards the end of a season that currently sees last year’s Champions languishing in seventh position in the table, he admitted that “it has been a bad week for Manchester United” but was pleased to see Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and other players from the ‘Class of 92’ in charge while the club looks for a new manager.

Sir Alex, Eamonn and Michael Edelson – the CST’s  northern region chairman, who hosted the event – entertained the audience with a re-enactment of Sir Alex’s recruitment as United manager, which featured Edelson phoning Aberdeen FC and putting on a fake Scottish accent in order to speak to Sir Alex without anyone knowing. Eamonn Holmes played the role of the Aberdeen telephone receptionist who was fooled by the act.

Edelson said: “We would like to thank Sir Alex and Eamonn for showing their support for CST by speaking at our lunch today. Sir Alex is the greatest football manager in the history of the game and his insights and recollections are always fascinating.”