Sir Alex Ferguson recently reached out to a former Manchester United player who left the club over a decade ago.
During his legendary tenure as United’s manager, Ferguson guided the Red Devils to 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, and numerous other honors. Since his retirement in 2013, several managers have attempted—without success—to restore the club’s dominance.
In 2014, United sold striker Danny Welbeck to Arsenal for a reported £16 million. At the time, Ferguson’s former assistant, Rene Meulensteen, was asked whether the legendary boss would have approved the transfer. His response was emphatic:
“No, definitely not. If you look back at Sir Alex Ferguson’s history at Manchester United, he always prioritized developing young players and giving them opportunities. People criticized Danny for not scoring enough goals, but you had to consider the players ahead of him and how often he was actually deployed in his preferred position.”
Welbeck went on to score 32 goals in 126 appearances for Arsenal before moving to Watford in 2019. A year later, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion, where he has since netted 34 goals in 152 matches.
Speaking recently, Welbeck revealed that Ferguson called him after he scored in an FA Cup match against Newcastle United.
“After the Newcastle goal, I think he was in South Africa at the time,” Welbeck told the BBC. “He called me and spoke about the goal and my performance. The call came from a ‘No Caller ID’ number, and at first, I hesitated to answer. But when I picked up, it was him, and he was buzzing.”
Welbeck added: “To have that connection with him still means a lot. He’s a manager who always looked out for his players and wanted the best for them. Even now, we stay in touch.”
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