Sir Alex Ferguson named the one Man Utd player he had most 'doubts' over before signing him

Sir Alex Ferguson named the one Manchester United player he had the most doubts over before signing him.

Sir Alex Ferguson named the one Manchester United player he had the most doubts over before signing.

The Scotsman’s 27 years at Old Trafford saw him entrench himself among the greatest managers in history.

Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles at United, as well as a collection of FA Cups, League Cups and Champions League crowns.

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And while his time at the club was marked by shrewd and savvy business, even Ferguson could make mistakes in the transfer market.

Indeed, for every Peter Schmeichel, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo, all of whom turned out to be bargain buys, there were flops such as Bebe and Gabriel Obertan.

Ferguson, however, revealed that Owen Hargreaves was a player he had serious “doubts” about before bringing in.

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“He could play right-back, wide right or central midfield,” he wrote in his second autobiography.

“I played him wide right in the 2008 final against Chelsea, and when we started to struggle against their midfield three, I put him in the middle of the park with Rooney wide right and it worked.

“He had definite value. But it was all lost in the fog of his lack of games.

“Yet, Hargreaves was fantastic for England at the 2006 World Cup, plugging gaps, racing to the ball.

Hargreaves struggled to locate his best form at Old Trafford (Getty)
Hargreaves struggled to locate his best form at Old Trafford (Getty)

“I look back less fondly on our move for Owen Hargreaves, who was phenomenal in the summer of 2006 and was just the type of player we needed to fill the gap left by Keane.

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“We started to put together a bid for him. But I studied his playing record and felt a tinge of doubt. I didn’t feel a strong vibe about him.”

Elsewhere, Ferguson once said that Ralph Milne, who moved to Old Trafford in November 1988 from Third Division Bristol City, was his worst-ever signing.

He admitted in 2009, as per the Guardian: “My worst signing? Ralph Milne. I only paid £170,000 but I still get condemned for it.”

Milne scored three goals in 22 games in his first season at Old Trafford before losing his first team place. He was released in 1991 and never played football again.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Owen Hargreaves, Transfer News, Premier League, Football

Chris Byfield
Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I’m also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don’t hold this against me.