“Dementia is a challenge for anyone who grows old. I am very worried”, confesses Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United’s historic coach, who recalls that “he was very head of the ball” as a player, which can be an aggravating factor.
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05/10/2026
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Salex Ferguson gave an extensive interview to this Monday edition of the British newspaper The Observer, in the context of the launch of the new book entitled “Games of My Life”, in which he explained the reasons why he donated money to a number of institutions aimed at people suffering from dementia throughout their lives.
“ I myself worried about it, because I was very heady with the ball”, began by affirming the historic coach of Manchester United (club that guided, between 1986 and 2013, and for which he won a total of 36 titles), in reference to the fact that several studies alert to the dangers of this specific action in football, due to the damage it can cause to the brain.
“ All the football players did. Dementia is a challenge for anyone who ages. I'm worried sick. I always tell myself ‘I’m 84 years old. If I reach 85, I’ll be fine”, he continued, among laughs, before addressing the situation where his younger brother, Martin, 83 years old.
“ He recognizes me, which is great. In Glasgow, a musical thing began [the ‘Playlist for Life’, an institution of solidarity that uses music to alert to dementia], and the idea goes by giving you a box of all your favorite songs. All they have to do is press a button to touch them, and bring back all the memories”, he pointed.
“ I may have trained Manchester United, but Cathy managed Ferguson United.”
In this interview, Sir Alex Ferguson also raised the ‘vehicle’ on the most personal facet, highlighting, in particular, the role that the woman, who died in October 2023, aged 84, played throughout her coaching career: “I may have trained Manchester United, but Cathy managed Ferguson United.”.
“59 years [married] is a long time. There was a huge religious part of Cathy, and she always considered herself a woman and a mother. She never got involved in my life as a coach. She never complained about it because she knew it was my job. A fantastic woman, and it was brilliant for the boys ", stressed.
“She was great at judging people. I was very careful with people who wanted to be friendly with me. She never got to be here [in her present home]. We got married on a Saturday morning, and I played in the afternoon,” he added.
“ I never changed my beliefs, either at St. Mirren, Aberdeen or Manchester United.”
In conclusion, Sir Alex Ferguson revealed what he considers to have been one of the cornerstones of his success as a coach in Manchester United and not only: “I liked having the players in my office. I'd like to talk to them. I did that sometimes with the younger ones. He told them a story or something.”.
“ The other thing I remained faithful to was consistency. I never changed my beliefs, either at St. Mirren's or Aberdeen's or Manchester United. They were always there. I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought it was good to produce young players. I produced dozens of players from Manchester United Academy who became international,” he concluded.