Sir Alex Ferguson left 'gobsmacked' by letter from Man Utd wonderkid

Sir Alex Ferguson was left gobsmacked when he received a letter from a Manchester United wonderkid.

When you manage a footballing giant for as long as Sir Alex Ferguson did - 26 years to be exact - then there isn't a lot that surprises you.

The Scottish manager won pretty much everything there is to win during his time in charge of Man United, but he wouldn't have done it without the seriously talented players at his disposal.

However, there was one player Ferguson was sure was destined for greatness, but things just didn't work out.

Ravel Morrison is one of the most naturally gifted players to come out of United's academy, but he left the club in 2012 after failing to take his chances and a series of disciplinary issues.

Morrison has lived a nomadic existence since playing for clubs across the world, and is now reportedly attracting interest from Sheffield Wednesday, Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United after leaving MLS side DC United last month.

If the 31-year-old does resurrect his career in England, than nobody will be more pleased than Ferguson.

In an episode of his Prior to the Vibe with FIVE show in 2021, former United defender Rio Ferdinand shared a message Sir Alex sent him when he asked the Scott for some words about Morrison.

"Give my regards to him please," Ferguson's message began.

"Another thing about Ravel, which I've always treasured because no other young player who made their debut did it, was after the first game in the first team that he played, the next morning he came to my office and gave me a letter thanking me for giving me his debut.

"I was gobsmacked, Rio. The boy had a good heart, he was just beaten by his background."

Morrison's debut came in a 3-2 League Cup win against Wolves on October 26, 2010, when he replaced Park Ji-Sung in the final minutes.

On making his debut, Morrison said: "When I made my debut – words can’t describe that you know.

"Making your debut for Man United it was only a minute as well. It touches you because if I could go back in time I would change 90 per cent of my life."

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Ravel Morrison, Football, Premier League, FA Cup

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton