Ponte Vedre, Florida ….
Rory McIlroy has echoed the thoughts of so many sports fans with news Sir Alex Ferguson has been released from recent intensive surgery.
Ferguson, 76 underwent emergency surgery on Saturday for a brain haemorrhage and will continue his rehabilitation as an inpatient at Salford Royal Hospital.
The famed Scottish-born Ferguson retired as Manchester United manager in May 2013 after winning 38 trophies during 26 years in charge.
McIlroy has long been a Manchester United fan and has met Ferguson on a number of occasions including in 2014 when then European Ryder Cup Captain, Paul McGinley extended an invitation to Ferguson to travel to Gleneagles and address McGinley’s ultimate victorious winning side.
Sir Alex Ferguson meets Rory McIlroy at the 2014 Ryder Cup. (Photo – European Tour)
“I mean, I was shocked to hear the news last weekend that he had been — he went to hospital, and I’m just glad that he’s pulling through and he’s conscious now and that the procedure or the surgery went well apparently, so that’s good,” said McIlroy ahead of teeing-up in this week’s Players Championship.
“It’s also funny to — I read this morning that his first words were “how did Doncaster get on?” So that was pretty funny too. So he’s just — he’s a great man. He’s very, he’s a very driven individual. He says complacency is a disease. That’s sort of his big line. He hates complacency. He hates people resting on their laurels.
“I’ve gotten to know Sir Alex pretty well over the years, whether it’s been that Ryder Cup at Gleneagles or he came and did a charity thing with me in Dublin a couple years ago for the Irish Open, which was really good of him to do, and yeah, so hopefully he makes a speedy recovery, and I know everyone that has been in touch with him thinks the world of him and he’s got a lot of people out there supporting him. So hopefully he’s okay and he gets back to full fitness and full health soon.”
The most successful manager in the history of the British game, Ferguson’s trophy haul at Old Trafford included 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League crowns, five FA Cups and four League Cups.
Ferguson famously won the ‘Treble’ of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999, the year in which he was knighted.
Premier League managers, including Wenger and Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, sent their good wishes over the weekend to Ferguson.
Wenger described Ferguson as “an optimistic man” with Guardiola saying his thoughts were with Ferguson’s wife Cathy and the rest of his family.
Guardiola said on Wednesday night it was “amazing news” that he had left intensive care.
Ferguson became United manager in November 1986 after spells in charge of Scotland, Aberdeen, St Mirren and East Stirlingshire.
