Sir Alex Ferguson had five senior Manchester United players instil a “controlled” dressing room during his illustrious reign at Old Trafford, according to Wayne Rooney.
Ferguson hoovered up the major silverware during his incredible 26 years at United, with the legendary Scot widely regarded as one of the best managers of all time.
The former United manager led the Red Devils to 13 Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups before he called it time in 2013.
Ferguson built a long-lasting legacy for his infamous ‘hairdryer treatment’ and no-nonsense approach to dealing with players who stepped out of line.
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Rooney, who spent 13 seasons at Old Trafford, was brought to United from Everton when he was only 18 years old in a deal worth £27m in 2004.
Speaking on his time at the Premier League club, United and England’s all-time leading scorer spoke about the culture under Ferguson’s longstanding tenure.
Rooney claimed that Ferguson didn’t put his stamp of authority on the United dressing room, with five players instead taking on those duties.
The United legend revealed that former club teammates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand and himself were dressing room leaders at Old Trafford.
“That would never be allowed to happen,” he told the Men In Blazers TV show on NBCSN in 2018.
“The likes of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, myself -- players who had Man United in them and wanted the best for that club -- would never allow anyone to mess that up.
“We controlled the dressing room ourselves. Alex Ferguson didn’t really need to control that. The players had the trust of the manager to do that themselves.”
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Rooney lifted five Premier League titles, a Champions League, a Europa League, an FA Cup and three League Cups during a prolific spell at United.
The 37-year-old former United captain left Old Trafford in 2017 and went on to play for Everton in a brief second spell.
Rooney then went on to play for DC United and Derby County before announcing his retirement from football, with the former England striker entering management.
Topics: Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Sir Alex Ferguson, Football, Premier League, Manchester United, England
Adnan Riaz