Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United stars 'in shock' after major decision announced during golf day

Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United stars 'surprised' and 'in shock' after news of his impending retirement was announced - while they were playing golf.

It is 10 years to the day since the Scot managed his final United game, a 5-5 draw at West Brom to close out the 2012/13 Premier League season.

While Ferguson would have wanted to win to end a historic 26-year spell at the club with a win, it wasn't the worst way to go out given that United were already Premier League champions.

He had decided to retire weeks earlier - and confirmed that it wasn't a decision he took lightly, having performed a U-turn on his initial departure plans back in 2002.

Speaking in a club statement, Ferguson said: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about. It is the right time."

The Scot gathered his players into the dressing room at the club's Carrington training ground to deliver the news - but as recalled by United legend Patrice Evra, reports of his retirement had already been circulated amongst media outlets.

And speaking to the club's official podcast on the 10th anniversary of the Scot's final game, former United players Jonny Evans and Tom Cleverley revealed how the squad reacted when they heard the news during a club golf day.

Man Utd players 'in shock' after Ferguson decision

Evans explained: "We were all having a game of golf at a club golf day - the players were playing against the staff. We were all on the golf course when the news came through.

"It was pretty surprising and quite a surreal feeling, but I think we all understood that it would come to an end one day.

"There was no sign at all that Sir Alex was considering retirement. In the back of your mind, you think that the boss will go on forever.

Cleverley added: "It was a strange period. I remember playing golf with Wayne Rooney at Dunham and the rumours started to circulate a little bit that the gaffer was going retire.

"Everyone was so shocked; it came out of the blue. It made sense that he wanted to retire at the top - we'd lost the league the year before in unfortunate circumstances so it must have felt so sweet for the manager that we won the league by 11 points the next year and he obviously felt that it was the right time for him to go."

And ex-United winger Adnan Januzaj, who made his first team debut the following season under David Moyes, said: "I was actually very sad because I was just starting my career under him. It was a shock - not just for me but for the whole football world."