Football

Manchester United Legend Peter Schmeichel Says He Was Nearly Sacked By Sir Alex Ferguson As He Reveals His Biggest Regret

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James Lloyd
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James Lloyd Sports Editor

James is a sports writer specialising in football news, betting, and statistics. He also writes about various other sports, including tennis, boxing, and MMA. His work has been featured on multiple online sports platforms, including Sports Lens and Breaking The Lines. James holds a Master's degree in Sport & Exercise Physiology and currently works as a Video Scout for 360 Scouting.

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Published03 Oct 2024

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Peter Schmeichel

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has revealed that he was nearly “sacked” by Sir Alex Ferguson during a heated clash.

Schmeichel’s Biggest Regret In Football: Clash With Ferguson

The Danish goalkeeper, who made nearly 400 appearances for the Red Devils, admitted that his “head went” after Ferguson criticised his performance.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Schmeichel recalled an incident where Ferguson picked on him after a game. “I felt really hard done by for him picking on me,” Schmeichel said. “My head went, and that was probably my biggest regret in football.”

Ferguson was so angry that he threatened to sack Schmeichel. “He said that he was going to sack me and that we can’t have a player doing this,” Schmeichel explained. “I accepted that, and I apologised to him.”

Schmeichel also admitted that Ferguson had a habit of picking on certain players. “He had certain players that he would do that to,” Schmeichel said. “I was one of them, Gary Pallister was one of them, and Roy Keane was one of them.”

The Danish goalkeeper explained that Ferguson often used these confrontations as a way to motivate his players. “He wanted that confrontation because it was shaking things up,” Schmeichel said. “He wanted that.”

Schmeichel also revealed that Ferguson was a master of psychological manipulation. “What I learnt from him was that 95% of everything he said was by the sign, and he was thinking about it and was waiting for the opportunity to say that,” Schmeichel said. “He would pick those moments, and once it happened, gone.”

Despite the incident, Schmeichel and Ferguson eventually made amends. The goalkeeper went on to win five Premier League titles and the 1998/1999 treble with United and credits his former manager for his success, whilst labelling him one of the greatest managers of all time.