‘MY GREATEST ADVERSARY’
Sir Alex pays tribute to his legendary rival Jim McLean
SIR ALEX FERGUSON has hailed Jim McLean as the toughest rival he ever faced in the opposite dugout.
Ferguson, who was in charge of Aberdeen when the Dons formed the New Firm of Scottish football with McLean’s Dundee United, paid an emotional tribute to the Tannadice legend who died aged 83 at the weekend.
‘My adversaries in England were always Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez or Arsene Wenger. But, believe me, my biggest adversary in football was Jim McLean,’ said the former Manchester United boss.
He described McLean, who managed Dundee
United from 1971 to 1993, as ‘one of the greatest coaches to come out of Scotland’, adding: ‘Certainly no-one ever surpassed him. Jock Stein recognised that and brought him into the Scotland set-up.’ His relationship with McLean started in 1964 when he met him on a coaching course at Largs. ‘He helped me greatly at that time and I knew then that he would go on to become an influential and special coach,’ said Ferguson. ‘I was only a young man but his football knowledge was obvious to me. He was intelligent and clear-sighted on football.’ McLean was then at Dundee but was to make his fame across the road at Dundee United, taking the club to a league title, two League Cup triumphs and the semi-finals of the European Cup and the final of the UEFA Cup. It was the era when Aberdeen and United usurped Celtic and Rangers as Scottish football’s dominant forces. ‘When you think back, it is almost absurd what he achieved,’ said Ferguson. ‘He took a club and changed it completely. He took players and made them better. ‘His legacy in football is that anyone who came across him — whether as an opposing manager or as a player — knows he was a fantastic coach.’ Ferguson, who will celebrate his 79th birthday on Hogmanay, said of his friend: ‘Yes, he could be prickly. But, deep down, he was a good man. He was always ready to help. I learned so much from him.’ He added: ‘I am so sad at this loss and send my deepest condolences to his family. He was a great coach and a great character.’