Sir Alex Ferguson recalls losing his voice after brain surgery
Sir Alex Ferguson has described the frightening moment he realised he could no longer speak after emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage, reports BritPanorama. The former Manchester United manager, now 84, revealed this experience when his grandsons visited him in hospital following the operation.
A speech therapist played a crucial role in helping him regain his voice through various exercises, including writing down the names of birds, animals, and rivers. “I had lost my voice; I couldn’t speak,” Ferguson told the BBC, adding, “That was a frightening moment.”
Ferguson’s health crisis began in May 2018, when he collapsed at home and was subsequently taken to hospital. He underwent emergency surgery at Salford Royal and spent several days in intensive care. His family reported that while the operation was successful, he required intensive care for a thorough recovery.
At the time, Ferguson was 76 and had been retired for five years after a remarkable 26-year tenure at Old Trafford, where he secured 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns. Four months after the operation, he returned to Old Trafford, joining his wife, Cathy, to watch United face Wolves. He admitted to feeling apprehensive about the supporters’ reactions, saying, “I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn’t.” However, he was met with applause as he took his seat in the directors’ box, a moment that brought Cathy to tears.
Reflecting on his recovery, Ferguson has previously expressed concerns about losing not just his speech but also his memory. In 2021, he worried that he might struggle to communicate again. Now, as he prepares to publish his book, Games of My Life, which revisits 21 defining matches from his career, Ferguson states he is “feeling quite good despite small injuries.” The narrative of his life in football serves as a testimony to a journey that has taken him from working-class Glasgow to the pinnacle of European football.
As he shares his story with readers, Ferguson remains a significant figure in the world of football, evoking both admiration and intrigue about the man who once dominated the Premier League.
