Ferguson reveals 20% survival odds after 2018 brain hemorrhage

Sir Alex Ferguson had only a 20% chance of surviving his 2018 brain hemorrhage, the former Manchester United manager revealed in an interview with the BBC on Friday. After emergency surgery and several days in intensive care, the Scottish coach is speaking for the first time about the ordeal he endured.

“I was terrified. I would have liked to say I was comfortable. I wasn’t,” he said. Ferguson also described the temporary loss of speech that followed the operation: “I couldn’t speak anymore. It was a terrifying moment. I remember my grandchildren coming to see me when I had lost my voice.” His rehabilitation involved exercises prescribed by a therapist — naming birds, animals, rivers — before he gradually regained the ability to speak.

At nearly 85, which he will turn on December 31, Ferguson says he now feels “rather well despite a few minor ailments”. His health remains closely monitored, however: last May, he was hospitalized as he was about to attend a Manchester United match, causing concern at the club. “I was very touched by the news and we simply hope he is well,” Michael Carrick, the Red Devils’ manager at the time, had said. “We wish him all the best.”

Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United from 1986 to 2013, winning notably thirteen Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. He remains one of the most iconic figures in world football history.