Sir Alex Ferguson has rarely been short of words. For a man whose voice once echoed across dressing rooms at Old Trafford with the kind of authority that bent careers into shape, the silence that followed his brain haemorrhage in May 2018 was among the most frightening things he has ever experienced.

"I had lost my voice; I couldn't speak," Ferguson tells BBC Breakfast. "That was a frightening moment. I remember my grandsons coming to see me and I had lost my voice."

The former Manchester United manager, now three months shy of his 85th birthday, is speaking ahead of the release of his new book, Games of My Life. The memoir covers 21 defining matches across his playing and managerial career, spanning from a school cup final in Glasgow in 1955 through to his retirement from management in 2013 — a journey that took in 38 trophies and 26 extraordinary years at the helm of United.

A Terrifying Return to Old Trafford

Ferguson's recovery from emergency brain surgery was gruelling. Therapists worked with him on basic cognitive exercises — naming birds, animals, rivers — to help rebuild the faculties that had temporarily deserted him. Slowly, the voice came back.

Four months after the operation, he returned to Old Trafford to watch United face Wolves in the Premier League. The man who had spent decades projecting total command now arrived uncertain of his welcome.

"I was terrified," he admits. "I wish I could say I was comfortable. I wasn't."

He need not have worried. Ferguson and his wife Cathy were met with a standing ovation as they took their seats in the directors' box. "My wife was with me, and she was nearly crying. When we sat down, she said 'that's fantastic'."

Now approaching 85, he says simply: "I'm feeling quite good despite small injuries."

From Govan to Greatness

The book traces Ferguson's roots in working-class Govan in Glasgow, a community he credits as "the making of me." He describes drawing inner confidence from his mother Elizabeth and a fierce drive to succeed from his father Alexander, a shipyard worker on the River Clyde who offered constructive criticism regardless of how many goals his son had scored.

Ferguson made his debut as a 16-year-old striker for Queen's Park before moving to St Johnstone, where his career stalled badly. Frustrated by reserve-team football and overlooked by the first team, he quietly filled out the paperwork to emigrate to Canada, phoning an aunt to arrange sponsorship without telling his parents.

Then fate intervened. With St Johnstone's squad devastated by a flu bug ahead of a trip to Ibrox to face Rangers in 1963, the 21-year-old was handed a start — and responded with a hat-trick.

"I would say this to young people — don't miss the biggest opportunity in your life. It's recognising it," Ferguson says.

That afternoon changed everything. The playing career that nearly ended in a quiet departure to North America instead set him on the path to becoming one of the game's most consequential managers.

A Legacy Carved in Trophies

Between 1986 and 2013, Ferguson took charge of approximately 1,500 United matches, winning 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, five FA Cups and four League Cups, along with a host of other honours including the Club World Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.

In Games of My Life, the opening chapter centres on the school cup final Ferguson played in 1955 at the age of 13 — and he still has the medal to prove it.

"That was my starting point," he says, holding it up. "I played for Glasgow Schools, Scotland Schools and the Scotland youth team. The starting point of my career was there and I can look back with great satisfaction."

At 84, still reflecting, still talking, and still holding on to a medal from seven decades ago — that is Sir Alex Ferguson.

Frequently asked

What happened to Sir Alex Ferguson in 2018?
Sir Alex Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage in May 2018 and underwent emergency surgery. He temporarily lost his voice during his recovery and worked with a speech therapist to regain it. He returned to Old Trafford four months after his operation.
What is Sir Alex Ferguson's new book about?
Ferguson's new book is called 'Games of My Life'. It covers 21 defining matches from his playing and managerial career, from a school cup final in Glasgow in 1955 through to his retirement as Manchester United manager in 2013.
How many trophies did Sir Alex Ferguson win at Manchester United?
Ferguson won 38 trophies during his 26 years in charge of Manchester United between 1986 and 2013. These included 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, five FA Cups and four League Cups, among other honours.