Ferguson recalls brain haemorrhage and return to Old Trafford

Sir Alex Ferguson has recounted how a 2018 brain haemorrhage and emergency surgery left him unable to speak, and said he felt terrified when he returned to Old Trafford about four months later. In an interview, the former Manchester United manager described the speech loss as frightening and said therapy helped his voice return. Ferguson said his grandsons visited after the surgery and he could not speak to them. A therapist asked him to write down words, including names of birds, animals and rivers, he said, and his voice returned through the exercises. The account comes from Ferguson’s interview; the available reports do not provide independent medical records or details of his diagnosis and clinical treatment. He also described his first return to Old Trafford after the operation. Ferguson said he was not comfortable and felt terrified, despite having regularly attended matches at the ground during his retirement. His wife, Cathy, accompanied him, and he recalled that she was nearly crying when they sat down. The reports place his return about four months after surgery, when Manchester United played Wolves. He received a standing ovation, according to the account.