Sir Alex Ferguson's classy gesture to former Manchester United star after taking coaching role

Sir Alex Ferguson’s impact on Manchester United is simply immeasurable, and even following his retirement he still plays a huge role in the careers of his former players.

The legendary manager oversaw a period of unrivalled success at Old Trafford as United dominated the Premier League under his guidance. By the time Ferguson retired in 2013, he had amassed an astonishing 13 league titles.

The Scot also helped to launch the careers of some of the biggest names in football, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and the class of '92 all flourishing under his stewardship. But even beyond their playing days, Ferguson has continued to make an impact on their careers.

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Former United midfielder Quinton Fortune played under Ferguson at United. Speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at the launch of their 5-A-Side Bet on Brighton vs Man United, Fortune revealed the classy gesture he received from his former manager when he became a coach at Reading in 2020.

“The boss [Sir Alex Ferguson] just has this unrivalled awareness of knowing what to say in the right moment,” Fortune said. “He's an amazing man. There's nothing else I can say to describe him; he's just an amazing man.

“I still get calls from him even to this day; when I joined Reading as a coach, I don't know how he found out as quickly as he did, but he gave me a call out of the blue. I was just like 'how does the boss know what I'm doing? Who told him?!'

“He just called to give me some advice before I stepped into the role. He makes you feel 20 times taller, and that conversation just gave me so much confidence stepping into my new role.

“He didn't