Sir Alex Ferguson named the one match that made him miss football management

Sir Alex Ferguson named the one match he watched as a fan that made him miss football management.

Ferguson retired from management in 2013, winning his 13th Premier League title with Manchester United in his final season in charge.

United have yet to lift the Premier League trophy since his departure, with Erik ten Hag the latest manager entrusted with reviving the club's fortunes.

David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick have all taken charge in the intervening years, with differing levels of success at the club.

As for Ferguson, he attempted a double deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale just before he departed Old Trafford.

And it was watching the 2014 Champions League final, that saw Ronaldo's Real Madrid overcome Atletico Madrid after extra time in a thrilling contest, which made him miss management.

He told United's official website: "I made the decision [to retire] because of Cathy's [his wife] sister dying and she was on her own, there was no doubt about that.

"I took Cathy to the [2014] European Cup final the next year, when Real Madrid played Atletico Madrid in Lisbon. And that's the first time I said to myself, 'I miss this'.

"I went down to see Ronaldo after the game, Carlo Ancelotti was the manager. He's a fantastic guy, and he saw me waiting in the corridor. He said, 'Cristiano's going to the medical room to get treated, come in'.

"All the [Real Madrid] players came around and shook my hand. It was a really nice moment, you know.

"That's probably the only time I said to myself, 'I miss this', a big game like that."

Ferguson would eventually become involved in the return of Ronaldo to United in the summer of 2021, with the Portugal icon revealing that his former manager sent him a message convincing him not to sign for Manchester City instead.

In his interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ronaldo said: "I followed my heart. He [Ferguson] said to me, 'It's impossible for you to come to Manchester City'.

"I said, 'OK, boss'."