Sir Alex Ferguson was proven wrong after making Gareth Bale demand to Harry Redknapp

Sir Alex Ferguson urged Harry Redknapp to stop picking Gareth Bale when the Welshman endured an arduous period for Tottenham.

Bale is one of the players Ferguson regrets not signing for Manchester United. The Welshman hung up his boots in September 2023 and is considered one of the greatest British talents to grace the pitch.

But things did not always go smoothly at Tottenham for the Real Madrid legend, as he endured a notorious 24-game winless streak when he was on the pitch, either as a starter or as a substitute. During that time, Ferguson told Redknapp not to pick the then-youngster. Yet, the ex-Portsmouth and West Ham United manager ignored the Scotsman and was proven right to do so.

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While speaking to Mirror Football on a visit to Kellogg's Football Camps – a UK-wide summer football programme for local kids – Redknapp said: "When I first got to the club, he had played 20 odd games and had never been on the winning team.

"I remember Alex saying to me: 'I wouldn't pick him, Harry, he is unlucky' because he had played around 24 games and had never ever been on a winning team, since he had been at Tottenham, which is an incredible record.

"Not that it was his fault, it was just the way it had worked out. If he came off the bench, they didn't win, and if he started they didn't win. Eventually, we broke that voodoo and never looked back. His confidence grew and he became an amazing footballer."

Redknapp was the one who switched Bale from a full-back to a winger, leading to the Welshman becoming one of the finest attackers in the