CHRIS SUTTON

SUCH is Sir Alex Ferguson’s meticulous eye for detail that as Manchester United manager he assigned members of the SAS to monitor potential transfer targets — including me. While at Norwich I was given the chance to move to Old Trafford. Though I chose to sign for Blackburn instead, I was surprised to learn years later that the scouting process extended beyond the pitch. In his book, Manchester United: The Untold Story the club’s former head of security, Ned Kelly, revealed that I was watched 24 hours a day for two weeks. There was still a big drinking culture among footballers in the early Nineties. Sir Alex wanted his club to be the elite and needed to know that his recruits behaved correctly on and off the pitch. It shows just how ahead of the game he was. How often now do we discuss whether a player has the right character for a big move? I faced Sir Alex several times during my career. He had an uncanny knack of getting inside your head, not least when we were closing in on the title at Blackburn in 1995. I wish him a speedy recovery — many of today’s bosses could still learn a thing or two from the master of the mind games.