Forget the hairdryer – Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson’s ferocious reputation masks a heart of gold, say his ex-players

SIR Alex Ferguson ruled Manchester United with an iron first, or at least that's the myth. Fergie, now 83, is widely regarded as the most successful manager of all-time. During his Red Devils reign he won 13 Premier League titles, and lifted the Champions League twice. Often, it was perceived he struck fear into his teams to perform to the best of their abilities. Roy Keane and David Beckham have admitted to slanging matches with their old boss that resulted in the former leaving Old Trafford and the latter having a loose boot kicked in his face.

But, plenty of others have also spoken about how kind-hearted the gaffer was. From former players to even a rival manager, SunSport debunks the hairdryer myth. The great man said it himself. When he was asked if his players were scared of him and his fiery temper, he replied: "I hope not.". "There's a lot of myth attached to that. In training there's nothing but praise for every player. Nothing but positives.".

Sir Alex added: "The hairdryer is part of the myth and the circus. It's completely exaggerated, like throwing the tea cups. "But I'm a confrontational character. I don't like people arguing back to me. I think that's where the hairdryer treatment came from.". Sir Alex's relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo has been well-documented. It can't be argued that the Scot was the making of the Portuguese superstar.

And it was Ronaldo who revealed his former manager had an extremely compassionate side. Speaking on the BBC documentary, Sir Alex Ferguson: Secrets of Success, Ronaldo revealed how Fergie showed great understanding before his father's death in 2005. "When my dad was sick in London and was in hospital -- very bad, in a coma -- I had a conversation with [Ferguson]," Ronaldo said. "I said, 'Boss, I don't feel good.'.

"We are in a key moment in the league and the Champions League, but I say, 'Boss, I don't feel good. I want to see my dad.'. "[He said] 'Cristiano, you want to go one day, two days, one week, you can go. I'm going to miss you here because you know you are important, but your dad [comes] first.'. "When he told me that, I thought, 'This guy's unbelievable.'". Ronaldo also revealed Ferguson's success on the pitch was aided by the family atmosphere he created at United.

"He invites everyone to come for lunch, come for tea... an English cup of tea!" Ronaldo added. "It was a family with him. He was a football father for me.". Ronaldo repeated that sentiment again - reiterating he got to the top thanks to his former coach. "Sir Alex is like a father in football for me," he said. "He was the main key for me to be in the position that I am, he's an unbelievable person.". Giuseppe Rossi didn't quite have the career at Old Trafford many of expected of him.

But that hasn't stopped Fergie from reportedly helping the former Italy international out for the striker's farewell match. Rossi has organised a ceremonial one-off game in Florence on March 22, where Sir Alex could return to the dugout. Rossi revealed that Ferguson showed his eternal class by immediately agreeing to help out. The 38-year-old said: "I did little at United but he treats me like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 1,000 goals.

"Ferguson will be there (at his farewell match) as a coach. He was my first coach, I signed when I was 17. "I only did three years with him and played little, but he immediately said yes and this shows what kind of person he is.". It's almost unthinkable to think of Mikel Arteta picking up the phone to check on Pep Guardiola's well-being after Man City's recent woes. But, Sir Alex was a different breed, according to former rival David Moyes.

"Sir Alex was great at phoning managers when things weren’t good and wanting to help," Moyes once revealed. "He was competitive but also someone who thought about others.". Of course, Moyes would be Fergie's successor at Old Trafford, upon the legend's recommendation. Astonishingly, Nani - who played under Fergie from 2007-2013 - revealed that his former manager would, on occasion, turn a blind eye to players turning up drunk at training.

"If I had the next day off, for example, then I could have some fun…on special days like Christmas or New Year – no one in England cares about that," the ex-winger told Tribuna Expresso. "On New Year, we could even go to training drunk and the coach didn’t care about it. That’s the side of [Sir Alex] that knew how to deal with the players and had the perception to say: this day is special, I can’t make demands.

"We had been playing non-stop all year long. It was a joy, a moment of relaxation, a different kind of training – clowning around. I won’t lie, I liked nights out.". The Portuguese added, "It was amazing. He knows how to deal with the player, whether they are older or younger. He knows how to manage their professional career and the human being. "With him I can say that I gained a unique experience and maturity because they were very important phases of my life. I needed to grow up really fast, to learn and deal with that culture and the club culture.".