Sir Alex Ferguson says David Beckham had to leave
Manchester United because the former England
captain thought he was "bigger than the
manager".
In his latest autobiography, Ferguson said he fell out
with Beckham after criticising his performance during
an FA Cup defeat to Arsenal in 2003.
"The minute a Manchester United player thought he
was bigger than the manager, he had to go," he wrote.
"David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson.
"That was the death knell for him."
Beckham, who won six Premier League titles, two FA
Cups and one Champions League crown during his
United career, was eventually sold to Real Madrid for
£25m in the summer of 2003.
He helped the Spanish giants win La Liga before moving
to the United States, where he guided LA Galaxy to
victory in the MLS Cup.
Ferguson retired from management in May, ending one
of the most successful managerial reigns in British
history.
During his 26 years in charge at Old Trafford, he won
38 trophies and managed some of the biggest names in
football, like Beckham, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo,
Peter Schmeichel, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Jaap Stam
and Ruud Van Nistelrooy.
Ferguson, whose 26-year reign as Manchester United
boss ended in May, also writes in Alex Ferguson: My
Autobiography that:
Wayne Rooney lost his "old thrust" in his final
season in charge because he was not fit enough
Cristiano Ronaldo was the "most gifted player"
he managed and calls him a "wizard"
He told Ronaldo that he would rather "shoot"
him than sell him to Real Madrid
The reason he fell out with Rafa Benitez is
because the Spaniard made his attacks personal
Rio Ferdinand's eight-month ban for missing a
drugs test in 2003 was too severe
The hardest part of Roy Keane's body is his
tongue and he has the most "savage tongue you
can imagine"
England will not win a World Cup until they can
produce players as technically gifted as Brazil
Ferguson also describes in detail his version of the
dressing-room bust-up with Beckham that followed the
FA Cup loss to Arsenal.
"He was around 12 feet from me," wrote Ferguson.
"Between us on the floor lay a row of boots.
"David swore. I moved towards him and, as I
approached, I kicked a boot. It hit him right above the
eye.
"Of course, he rose to have a go at me and the players
stopped him. 'Sit down,' I said. 'You've let your team
down. You can argue as much as you like.'
"I called him in the next day to go through the video
and he still would not accept his mistake. As he sat
listening to me, he didn't say a word. Not a word.
"'Do you understand what we're talking about, why we
got on to you?' I asked. He didn't even answer me.
"The next day the story was in the press. In public, an
Alice band highlighted the damage inflicted by the boot.
"It was in those days that I told the board David had to
go."
Ferguson also allowed Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford,
but only after Real Madrid had agreed to pay £80m for
the winger.
"Cristiano was the most gifted player I managed,"
wrote Ferguson. "He surpassed all the other great ones
I coached at United - and I had many.
"The only ones who could be placed near him would be
a couple of the home-produced players, Paul Scholes
and Ryan Giggs, because they contributed so
prodigiously to Manchester United for two decades."
Ferguson's trophy haul includes 13 league titles, two
Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four
League Cups.
He was replaced by fellow Scot David Moyes, who left
Everton to take the Old Trafford job.
Under Moyes, the defending Premier League champions
have made their worst league start in 24 years and lie
eighth in the table, eight points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
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