One of the most interesting chapters of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biography lifts the lid on the relationship between Fergie and David Beckham who, according to the former United manager, thought he was more important to the club than his manager.
The constant media attention and the number of agents that quickly turned Beckham into “Brand Beckham” were the cause for the former England captain’s downfall at Manchester United, explained Fergie at the launch of his biography, My Autobiography, yesterday in London in an explosive press conference.
“David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson. There is no doubt in my mind,” wrote Fergie in his book.
The United manager also explained how Beckham got accidentally hit by a flying boot kicked by Fergie in the Old Trafford dressing room, an incident that many thought was the final straw in an already strained relationship between the former United number 7 and Sir Alex Ferguson.
“He was around 12 feet from me. Between us on the floor lay a row of new boots. David swore. I moved towards him and as I approached I kicked a boot and 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 let your team down’,” explains Fergie in his biography.
During his press conference, Fergie claimed that Beckham’s biggest problem was that he abandoned the opportunity to focus on his footballing career to pursuit a bigger profile in the world of showbiz, which led to United sanctioning Beckham’s move away from the club he had played with since his teenage days.
“The big problem for me is that he married Victoria,” said Fergie.
“He went from Real Madrid to La Galaxy. I told him exactly what I thought of that and I think he missed top level football.
“I never had any issue with him at all. He was a marvellous boy and has become an icon. He’s worked to get to the point where he’s become a great player. We let him go to Real Madrid because we thought it was the right time.”
