‘Fergie inspired title win’

NEW Sunderland boss Jack Ross has spoken of how Sir Alex Ferguson helped him win the Scottish Championship with St Mirren.

Ross (above), unveiled to the media on Wearside on the 40th anniversary of Fergie’s sacking by St Mirren, received an inspiring phone call from the Manchester United legend on the eve of the Buddies’ title success.

It was just three weeks before Ferguson, 76, suffered the brain haemorrhage from which he is still recovering.

Ross, 41, said: “He rang before we clinched the league.

“We’d lost to Dundee United at Tannadice on the Tuesday when we could have won it.

“Then we were at home to Livingston and he phoned me on the Friday. It was nice. It was a phone call you don’t expect in terms of when you answer and he says who it is.

“It was great for me, hugely encouraging as a young manager that he took the time to call.

“And it even helped me to get into the game the next day because he asked how I was feeling and where we were.

“We were trying to get over that line and he’d been there loads of times and managed to get over that line.’’

Ross recognises what Fergie meant when he told ex-sunderland boss Roy Keane that the Black Cats are “a bloody big club’’.

Ross said: “Having been in and around Sunderland now, it’s a fair description.

“It doesn’t give you an automatic right to be successful – but it gives you a good platform.”