Emergency brain surgery for Fergie

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was in intensive care after emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage yesterday amid an outpouring of affection and get-well messages from across football.

Since retiring from United after almost 27 years in charge in 2013, the 76-year-old Ferguson has continued to attend matches at Old Trafford, participate in coaching initiatives, and has been a regular at horse racing as a prominent owner.

‘‘Sir Alex Ferguson has undergone emergency surgery today for a brain haemorrhage,’’ United said in a statement. ‘‘The procedure has gone very well but he needs a period of intensive care to optimise his recovery.’’

The most successful manager in British football history, Ferguson has appeared in good health since ending his intense direct involvement in coaching.

Since leaving the dugout, Ferguson has travelled the world passing on his vast football knowledge to a new generation of coaches and fans through books and talks on how he won 49 honours in his career including 38 titles at United. Starting work as a teenager in a Glasgow shipyard instilled a socialist ethos that the former Glasgow Rangers player carried throughout a career that eventually saw him knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

He also helped to made households names of two of the game’s biggest stars: David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.

‘‘My thoughts and prayers are with you, my dear friend,’’ Ronaldo wrote on social media accounts. ‘‘Be strong, Boss!’’

‘‘The long-term implications are very difficult to predict,’’ said Luke Griggs of Headway, the brain injury association.

‘‘Every brain injury is unique, as is every individual’s recovery.’’