sportbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Phil Neville Reveals Sir Alex Ferguson's Brilliant Gesture After Arsenal Won The League At Old Trafford

Phil Neville Reveals Sir Alex Ferguson's Brilliant Gesture After Arsenal Won The League At Old Trafford

A class act.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

The fascinating Fergie Vs Wenger: The Feud documentary which aired on Channel 5 last night was a brilliant watch and threw up some fresh information to the storied rivalry between two of the greatest ever managers.

One such tidbit from former United player Phil Neville involved Arsenal's 2001/02 title win at Old Trafford.

Arsenal, who already had the FA Cup in the big, claimed the league title against their biggest rivals at the time thanks to Sylvain Wiltord's goal on his 100th Arsenal appearance.

Martin Tyler's loud scream as the Frenchman tapped home after Fabien Barthez could only parry the ball into his path will forever be etched in the minds of Gunners fans.

In that period, with Arsenal and United going head-to-head, there were frequent fireworks before, during and after the game as tensions boiled over.

However on this occasion, according to Neville, Sir Alex Ferguson produced a brilliant gesture to congratulate Arsene Wenger and his side post-match.

Image: PA
Image: PA

"They came to our place and won the Premier League," Neville said.

"Sir Alex Ferguson went in their dressing with a couple of bottles of champagne and said 'congratulations' to them.

"That's class. That's the last place in the world that he would have wanted to go."

It was a bitter pill for Fergie to swallow but doing what he did was very classy indeed.

So too was his lovely tribute to his rival and friend, Wenger, when it was announced that the 68-year old will be leaving Arsenal after 22 years at the end of the season.

Image: PA
Image: PA

"I am really happy for Arsene Wenger," Sir Alex told Manchester United's official website.

"I have great respect for him and for the job he has done at Arsenal.

"It is great testament to his talent, professionalism and determination that he has been able to dedicate 22 years of his life to a job that he loves. In an era where football managers sometimes only last one or two seasons, it shows what an achievement it is to serve that length of time at a club the size of Arsenal.

"I am pleased that he has announced he is leaving at this stage of the season, as he can now have the send-off that he truly deserves. He is, without doubt, one of the greatest Premier League managers and I am proud to have been a rival, a colleague and a friend to such a great man."

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Premier League, Arsenal