Sir Alex Ferguson Named 5 Players He Wished He'd Managed During His Career

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The legendary Sir Alex Ferguson once revealed which five players he would have loved to manage at Manchester United, including Paul Gascoigne.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s status in football history is firmly established, with the Scot widely regarded as one of football’s greatest-ever managers. Earlier in his career, Ferguson took charge of St Mirren, Aberdeen and the Scottish national team, before enjoying an extraordinary spell at Manchester United, having joined in 1986.

Ferguson remained at Old Trafford for an incredible 27 years. His opening seasons were far from straightforward, and reports at the time suggested the Scot was under serious pressure towards the end of the 1980s. Winning the FA Cup in 1990 not only secured his position, but also marked the beginning of a trophy-laden era.

Across nearly three decades, Ferguson collected 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two Champions Leagues. His first triumph in the latter competition arrived during the 1998/99 season as part of a European treble, with the Red Devils becoming the first English side to achieve the feat.

Ferguson was among the first managers inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame and continues to command enormous respect within the sport because of his remarkable achievements. Since his retirement in 2013, Man United have found it difficult to replicate the success they experienced during his reign.

Sir Alex Ferguson Man United Stats

- Tenure: 1986-2013 - Matches: 1,499 - Wins: 902 - Draws: 326 - Losses: 271 - Goals Scored: 2,804 - Goals Conceded: 1,395 - Points per Match: 2.02

In 2021, Ferguson sat down with his former right-back Gary Neville. During the conversation for SPORTbible, the Scot revealed five players he would have liked the opportunity to manage during his distinguished career.

Speaking to Neville, Ferguson singled out Manchester City great Sergio Aguero as someone he would have enjoyed managing, while also naming three players who were all representing Tottenham Hotspur at the time: Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli.

> “I think (Harry) Kane, I thought Dele Alli was going to be a top player, I must admit. Kane, (Heung-min) Son, these are excellent players. Aguero has been a terrific striker, there’s no doubt about that. His goalscoring has been exceptional. I think that the top teams always produce a player that can stand out.”

Aguero famously scored the goal that secured City’s first Premier League title, doing so against the backdrop of Man United’s own title hopes. The Red Devils were on course to win the trophy until the final day. Kane and Son have both built impressive careers, with the former lifting multiple Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich and Son captaining Spurs to Europa League success in the 2024/25 campaign.

Dele Alli sadly never quite fulfilled the potential he showed as a youngster. The midfielder has spoken publicly about his struggles with mental health over recent years and he's unfortunately never be able to rediscover his best form since leaving Spurs in 2022.

The fifth name Ferguson mentioned was Paul Gascoigne. Renowned both for his exceptional ability on the pitch and his colourful personality away from it, Gascoigne has voiced doubts over whether Ferguson could have prevented his issues, while the Scot maintained that his Manchester United environment could have provided valuable support.

> "I think he was the best English player since Bobby Charlton. I think he was a fantastic player. Unfortunately, we didn't get him, and I think looking back now, he made a big mistake. He recognised himself years later, but we had Geordies in the camp.

> "We had Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, even Gary Pallister from Middlesbrough. We had people there that would have taken care of him, particularly Bryan Robson. I loved his strength."

Ferguson believed that one player he coached was extra special.

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