Sir Alex Ferguson's Man Utd dynasty might not have happened but for a flu bug

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FT Desk

Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the most iconic coaches British football has ever seen.

Throughout his illustrious career, he won three Scottish Premier Division titles, four Scottish Cups, one League Cup, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup with Aberdeen and 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, one European Cup Winners’ Cup and two Champions League titles with Manchester United…among many more honours.

His dynasty at the Red Devils is legendary and we will likely not see such a tenure again in the English top-flight.

But his career, and his life, could have taken a very different trajectory had he made the decision to move to Canada in his 20s.

After making his debut as a 16-year-old striker for Queen's Park, Ferguson subsequently signed St Johnstone but he was initially frustrated with the Saints and was often left to play with the reserves or having to settle for a place on the bench.

Around that time, he was considering emigrating to North America.

"I wasn't enjoying it. I wasn't playing first-team football; I was in the reserves all the time," he recalls, as quoted by BBC Sport.

"I filled out all the forms and phoned my aunt in Canada, because you needed a sponsor then, and never told my mother and father."

However, his luck changed when a bout of flu struck the St Johnstone squad and he was installed into the starting XI for a game at Ibrox against the club he supported, Rangers.

The 21-year-old scored a hat-trick that revitalised his career and, via Dunfermline, he would eventually play for Rangers.

It was that playing career that set him on the path to becoming the legendary manager we all know.

In May of 2018, Sir Alex suffered a brain haemorrhage which initially impacted his ability to speak.

"I had lost my voice; I couldn't speak," he revealed about the days after he underwent brain surgery.

"That was a frightening moment.

"I remember my grandsons coming to see me and I had lost my voice.

"Then they brought in a therapist and she started doing things like asking me to write down the names of birds, names of animals, names of rivers.

"That way my voice came back."

A few months later, Ferguson received a raucous reception at Old Trafford as the Man Utd faithful welcomed him and his late wife Cathy back to the Theatre of Dreams.

At the moment, Fergie is promoting his new book, 'Games of My Life'. It features stories and memories from 21 matches over the years that marked important moments in his career.

Looking back on that performance against Rangers that changed his career, he said: "I would say this to young people - don't miss the biggest opportunity in your life. It's recognising it."