Sir Alex Ferguson: I brought Usain Bolt to Glasgow 2014

Sir Alex Ferguson says he convinced the world's fastest man to compete at the Glasgow Commonwealth games. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

The football legend said he spoke to the Jamaican athletics icon before he stormed to gold in Glasgow two years ago.

Sir Alex - who entertained Bolt as a guest at Manchester United’s training ground during his management reign - said Bolt, 30, had taken his advice on coming to Scotland in the build-up to the glamour event.

He said: “It’s a warm city Glasgow, you saw the Commonwealth Games, it was fantastic.

Usain Bolt of Jamaica. (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)

“I spoke to Usain Bolt about coming here and he said ‘what kind of city is Glasgow?’ and I said it the best city you’ll ever have been in.

“So, he was a bit undecided about coming but after I had a chat with him he was terrific, you know.”

Govan-born Sir Alex, 74, added: “It is a very warm city and the people are warm. When I went to England at first back in 1986 people would say ‘I’ve never been to Glasgow’ and I would say ‘well you should try it’.

“They would say ‘Is it not a bit dodgy?’ I would say ‘Dodgy? It’s a great city’ then they would come back and say ‘Oh I loved it, the architecture, unbelievable, the restaurants’.

“So it has a great reputation. Once you have been to it you come away excited about it. I think that tells you everything about the city.”

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Bolt’s time in Glasgow was a triumph for Games organisers but didn’t pass without incident.

During his visit he described claims he had complained about the event as “nonsense”.

A newspaper quoted the Olympic 100m champion as saying he was “not really” having fun in Glasgow.

Bolt, who won gold in 4x100m relay event in Glasgow, later said the Games were “awesome”.

It had been claimed he had been waiting in the rain for his car to arrive shortly after meeting members of the royal family at the athletes’ village in the east end of Glasgow.

It was alleged he said the Glasgow Games were “a bit shit” and that he thought “the Olympics were better”.

Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Bolt makes no secret of his love for Man Utd and says former Red Devils striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy is the reason why he supports them.

He also says he and Sir Alex had a discussion about offering him a trial at Old Trafford.