Alex Ferguson feels wrath of ‘Chopper’ Harris

Sir Alex Ferguson might never have enjoyed his famous rivalry with Jose Mourinho had he taken the Chelsea job. Picture: AP

In a wide-ranging hour-long interview with US TV network PBS, Ferguson, who stepped down as United manager in the summer, revealed he was asked to manage Chelsea not long after Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003.

“They used an agent to approach me when Abramovich first took over the club,” the Scot said. “And I said, ‘No chance’. I always come back to this point – why would you leave?”

Harris wondered why Ferguson chose now, after successor David Moyes’ challenging start at Old Trafford, to reveal the approach.

“Why bring it out now?” Harris said. “They haven’t started the season off particularly well. Maybe he’s trying to upset the apple cart.

“If it was true, I’d have thought it would’ve leaked out before. It just seems strange now all of a sudden since he’s retired it’s come to light.”

It is the first time Ferguson has commented publicly on the matter, although it was previously reported by the Manchester Evening News. It was not a shock to Chelsea Supporters’ Group chair Trizia Fiorellino, who said: “I’m not surprised at all. I’d have been surprised if he wasn’t offered the job. Abramovich was very new to football and was going around trying to pick up the best of people.”

Had Ferguson been appointed at Stamford Bridge, Jose Mourinho, who is now enjoying a second spell at the helm, might never have become the most successful manager in Chelsea’s history.

Fiorellino added: “Everything works out for a reason and, if Fergie turning us down brought us Jose eventually, it was meant to be. It’s part of the Jose Mourinho and Chelsea fairy story.”

In the same interview, Ferguson insisted he would have no interest in returning to the United hot seat. With David Moyes’ team slumped in the bottom half of the Premier League table and the man Ferguson recommended as his successor under increasing pressure, it had been suggested that the veteran might eventually be ushered out of retirement in an effort to salvage the situation.

However, Ferguson told PBS that scenario would never materialise, and underlined his belief that fellow Glaswegian Moyes is the right man for the job.

“I’m not interested in managing again or getting myself worked up about Manchester United’s results,” said the 71-year-old. “You would be throwing your money down the drain if you put any money on me coming back as a manager.

“United are in good hands with David Moyes. He will be fine. He’s a good manager. I made my decision. The timing was perfect. There is no way back for me now. I’ve got a new life. I want to go to the Kentucky Derby and the US Masters, the Melbourne Cup. I want to visit vineyards in Tuscany and France.”

Ferguson also praised Wayne Rooney for his return to form, but repeated a claim the striker’s camp has always denied, namely that he asked for a transfer towards the end of last season.

The United director and ambassador, whose second autobiography is due to be released later this month, also gave his American audience an insight into the managerial techniques that brought him so much success. He said that key to his 13 Premier League titles was his refusal to be cowed by clubs that found new money and spent lavishly on players.

“I never worried about teams who spend what they want to spend. It never bothered me,” he said. “At the moment we have a lot of Middle Eastern owners, we have American owners of course, Russian owners. It never bothered me one bit.

“All I was concerned about was that we at United maintained our level of expectation, be competitive, be at the top part of the league. We might not win it every year, but we’d always be up there competing for it every year. . .

“You do things different ways. I’ve spoken about young players, and yes, that’s really important that part but, from time to time, we have spent big money and brought in the player who could make a difference.”