Wayne Rooney recalls awkward time Sir Alex Ferguson once caught him in the pub

Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney had an up-and-down relationship throughout their time together at Manchester United.

Ultimately the Englishman was one of the best players during Fergie’s managerial era at the Manchester side.

However, there were a few times that the pair would clash.

The record Red Devils goalscorer has recalled an awkward time earlier in his career when the Scotsman caught him somewhere he shouldn’t have been.

PA Images / Alamy

The former striker had just made a mammoth move to Manchester United from Everton when he spotted his parents in a pub near Liverpool.

He reminisced about the incident in his new book Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League.

Rooney wrote: “The manager seemed like a really good bloke, but the next day I experienced his legendary influence first-hand.

"It was a nice afternoon so I drove over to Crocky (Croxteth in Liverpool) to see the family.

“On the way, I spotted Mum and Dad in the car park of the local pub and I pulled over to say hello. We decided to go in for a drink, a diet pop for me.

"I was only there for 10 or 15 minutes before I went home, but a day later, the manager called me into his office. My first summons.

"[Ferguson said] 'Wayne, what were you doing in that pub in Croxteth yesterday?'"

Gavin Rodgers / Alamy

Can’t keep anything secret from the iconic manager.

Almost a decade on from his retirement, Ferguson consistently remains in the argument as one of the greatest managers of all time.

He won 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United and captured the Champions League twice.

But despite his success, he did have a habit of running in with some of the stars at the club.

Perhaps most infamously was his clash with David Beckham.

Back in 2003, following an FA Cup tie with Arsenal, Fergie kicked a boot out of rage that accidentally hit Beckham above the eye.

The wound became a public matter, and soon after Becks moved to Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Rooney has had a few more publicised run-ins with the boss.

The English striker openly claimed he wanted to leave Old Trafford in 2010, and subsequently faced the wrath of the Scotsman.

He ended up staying until 2017, well past Ferguson's retirement from the sport.

Topics: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Football, Premier League

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at SPORTbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.