Sir Alex Ferguson Reveals The Match That Made Him Miss Management

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that one match he went to as a fan actually made him miss being involved in football, after watching Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fergie retired in 2013, after winning his 13th Premier League title with Manchester United, and it's fair things haven't gone as well for the team since.

The legendary manager attempted to sign Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale, just before leaving Old Trafford, so it wasn't a plan he had for ages.

That might be why, just over a year after his final match, the Scot actually missed football, after going to watch the 2014 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

"No, there’s moments if you’re vain enough to think that way," he told the Manchester United podcast when asked if he ever thought about returning.

"But I made the decision 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'."

Ronaldo scored in the final in 2014. Image: PA Images

Just over a year earlier, Ronaldo had helped knock United out of the Champions League in the last 16, scoring on a return to Old Trafford, in what turned out to be Fergie's last game in Europe.

In Lisbon though, Ferguson was there to watch the player he helped become a world star, and saw the five time Ballon d'Or winner score the final goal in a 4-1 extra time win for Real over rivals Atleti.

"I went down to see Ronaldo after the game, Carlo Ancelotti was the manager," the former Aberdeen manager recalled of his time at the game.

"He’s a fantastic guy, and he saw me waiting in the corridor and he said Cristiano’s going to the medical room to get tested, 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 that I said to myself, 'I miss this', a big game like that."

Real with the trophy. Image: PA Images

Whilst Ferguson was eventually involved in helping to bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, another player he apparently tried to sign wasn't actually a target.

The 81-year-old was constantly linked with a move for Wesley Sneijder in the last five years of his career, but apparently that wasn't the case.

The Glaswegian went as far as saying he didn't know where the rumour had even come from, which is incredible considering how many times the Dutch midfielder was reportedly on his way to the club.

Makes you wonder what other transfer rumours weren't true...