On the 25th anniversary of Jock Stein’s unexpected death, his former Scotland assistant, Sir Alex Ferguson, wishes he could have had his mentor to turn to for advice during his difficult first few years as boss at Manchester United.
Ferguson, who took over the Scotland job when his mentor suffered a fatal heart attack during a World Cup qualifier in Cardiff, moved to take up the role of manager at Old Trafford a year after Stein passed away.
The successful Scot has been with United since, racking up a haul of trophies befitting of the legacy of Stein, who himself collected 24 domestic titles, including 10 league wins, and a European Cup in victory over Inter Milan in 1967.
Ferguson’s 11 league titles with the Red Devils and his success on the European stage came after a tricky start to his first ever venture in England, during which he had to fend off calls for him to be sacked, following a trophyless first three years.
Everything clicked into place for Ferguson shortly after but the manager, now in his 24th year with the club, wishes he could have picked up the phone to ask Stein for words of wisdom in the early years.
“I think when I went to United, I could have done with his experience and his advice then,” Ferguson told STV Sports Centre, in an interview to be broadcast on Friday Night Football on Friday, September 10 at 10.35pm.
“I was going into a little bit of the unknown going to England, having been with Aberdeen and having no experience of even playing in England. At that time I could have done with his help and his experience.
“Of course, he had the opportunity to go to Manchester United himself, so that would have been invaluable.”
Stein remains as Celtic’s most successful manager of all time, leading the club to heights unsurpassed by any other man in the hotseat. Only Willie Maley, with the club considerably longer in a 43-year spell, managed to win more accolades, taking the league title 16 times and the Scottish Cup on 14 occasions.
Having left the club in 1978, he moved on to Leeds United, having previously turned down two attempts from Manchester United to take him to England while he was with Celtic.
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But Stein spent just 45 days at Elland Road, choosing to return north of the border to take on the role as Scotland manager, a job he previously held on a short-term basis in 1965.
In a qualifying match for the 1986 World Cup against Wales at Ninian Park, Cardiff, Stein suffered a heart attack on the sidelines as his players battled to get the 1-1 draw they needed to reach a play-off with Australia.
Stein, aged 62, passed away at the stadium, leaving behind the managerial responsibility to his assistant Ferguson and a legacy no other Scottish manager has come close to matching, except perhaps the man who stepped into the breach after that fateful night.
You can see Sir Alex Ferguson’s exclusive interview on STV Sports Centre: Friday Night Football at 10.35pm on Friday, September 10. If you miss the show, you can watch it again on the STV Player. The full interview will be available on the STV Sport website from Friday night.
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