Man Utd squad convinced player was manager’s son due to the treatment he got

Sir Alex Ferguson light-heartedly recalled his Manchester United stars believing one of their team-mates was his son because of how he was treated by the iconic boss

Manchester United stars were convinced a player was Sir Alex Ferguson’s son because of the treatment he received. Ferguson managed a plethora of world-class players during his glorious 27-year reign as Red Devils boss.

The list includes homegrown stars like the Class of ’92 legends David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and the Nevilles, as well as overseas stars such as Eric Cantona, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, who he shared a near father-son relationship with.

Naturally, Ferguson was closer to some players than others, including legendary captain Bryan Robson, who was integral to United’s success in the early 1990s. Robson rarely got the infamous ‘hairdryer’ treatment from Ferguson, which was picked up on by fellow players of the era.

In an interview for TNT Sports last year, Ally McCoist quizzed Sir Alex on whether he ever gave certain players preferential treatment. McCoist asked: “You clearly worked with far and away some of the best.

“Robbo, Cantona, [Carlos] Tevez, obviously Ronaldo. Just unbelievable talent. Did you treat them all the same, or within reason did you have to do things accordingly?”

Ferguson hilariously responded: “Well, everybody thought Robbo was my son because he never got criticised!” As McCoist laughed at the answer, Ferguson added: “I don’t really believe that [he never got criticised].

“But anyway, I think the most important thing for me as a manager is to be consistent. So the players, the staff, everybody recognises the man who comes in the door every morning.

“I had the same principles all the time, the same discipline code all the time, and the same attitude towards staff in particular all the time. I never changed. It made it easier for everybody to feel comfortable with that.”

Robson came up through the ranks of West Bromwich Albion in 1975 before making the move to Old Trafford in 1981, spending 13 years with United, eight of which were under Ferguson.

Regarded as a complete central midfielder, he scored 92 goals in 416 games for the Red Devils, lifting two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two Charity Shields and a European Cup Winners’ Cup before moving on to Middlesbrough in 1994.

After hanging up his boots, Robson went on to manage Boro, leading the team to both domestic cup finals in 1997, only to be relegated from the top flight in the same season. The 68-year-old later managed Bradford City, West Brom and Sheffield United before a spell managing in Thailand.