Sir Alex Ferguson Opens Up on His 2018 Brain Haemorrhage: 'I Was Terrified'

Eight years after the brain haemorrhage that put his life at risk, Sir Alex Ferguson has broken his silence and admitted he went through those days in real fear. The Scotsman, widely regarded as one of the greatest football managers of all time, underwent emergency surgery in 2018 and has now revealed how he lost his voice after the operation and how his wife Cathy became the pillar that kept him going during his recovery.

• Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 and needed emergency surgery.
• The Scottish manager admits he was "terrified" and never felt comfortable during the process.
• He lost his voice after the operation and had to relearn how to communicate with help from a therapist.
• His wife Cathy stayed by his side and nearly cried when she saw him back in an Old Trafford box.
• The comments are part of the promotion for his new book, 'Games of My Life'.

Alex Ferguson Tells the Story of His 2018 Brain Haemorrhage

The name Alex Ferguson remains tied to the greatest era in Manchester United's history. Between 1986 and 2013 he won 13 league titles, two Champions Leagues, five FA Cups and four League Cups, along with the Intercontinental Cup, the European Super Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and the Club World Cup. He is still a familiar presence at Old Trafford, where he is regularly seen supporting the team from the stands.

That dominance of English football did not shield him from the most serious health scare of his life. In 2018, the news of his hospital admission after a brain haemorrhage shocked the sporting world. Ferguson underwent emergency surgery and, less than four months later, he was already back in the stands at Old Trafford.

"I Was Terrified": Ferguson on Facing Brain Surgery

In a recent interview, the Scottish manager has not hidden what he felt when confronted with that operation. Far from the fierce personality he showed on the touchline for decades, Ferguson confesses that he went through genuine fear before the procedure.

I was terrified. I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn't.

Losing His Voice Was the Most Frightening Moment After Surgery

The hours after the operation brought about one of the most unsettling episodes of Ferguson's life. When he woke up, the former manager could not speak. The loss of his voice took away the very tool he had used to lead dressing rooms for more than three decades.

The hardest moment came when his grandsons visited him in hospital and he was unable to communicate with them. To aid his recovery, a therapist began working with him, asking him to write down the names of birds, animals and rivers. A seemingly simple exercise, but a decisive one in gradually returning him to normal life.

Cathy Ferguson: The Quiet Strength Behind His Return to Old Trafford

Ferguson gives his wife a fundamental role in the whole process. Cathy was with him during the hardest days and also on the day he returned to the stadium. That afternoon, the couple took their seats in the directors' box and the emotion was hard to contain.

My wife was with me, and she was nearly crying. When we sat down, she said 'that's fantastic'.

The return to Old Trafford became one of the most emotional images of that year in English football. Ferguson needed less than four months to be back watching his team live after the operation.

The Book Where Ferguson Revisits the Matches That Shaped His Life

The conversation forms part of the promotion for 'Games of My Life', a book in which Ferguson revisits 21 defining matches from his playing and managerial career. The work traces his rise from a working-class Glasgow to the summit of English football, with anecdotes and fresh insights into the decisions that shaped his path.