Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
OUR COACH.. MADE US
ever seen in Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Robbie Savage and Keith Gillespie.
Paul Scholes and Phil Neville were added in 1993 and the latter captained the victorious side of 1995.
“He was like a second father,” said Phil Neville. “On and off the pitch, the way you spoke to the canteen ladies, the kit man, the way you dressed, your time-keeping – they were values that stood us in good stead for the rest of our lives.”
Gary Neville, captain of that 1992 side, said: “We’ve lost our mentor, our coach and the man who made us.”
Beckham recalled how he would often tell him off for showboating. “I can still hear him telling me ‘no more Hollywood passes’,” said Beckham.
“I can still see him as we played on The Cliff training ground looking down on us either with a proud smile or a loud bang of his fist on the window, knowing any minute he would be on his way down to probably advise me in the most polite way to stop playing those passes.”
Giggs said: “He was a great man and a tough coach. He instilled in us the principles of the game we’ve carried for life.”
Harrison was one of Ferguson’s trusted lieutenants and identified Steve Mcclaren as Brian Kidd’s successor as assistant manager in 1999. He spent 27 years at Old Trafford and four as Wales assistant manager under one of his first discoveries, Mark
Hughes.
Harrison was diagnosed with dementia four years ago and was made an MBE for his services to football in 2017.
The end for this unassuming, yet great footballing man, came on Wednesday when he died peacefully, surrounded by his family.