Alex Ferguson ‘awake and talking’ after brain surgery

The Sun reports that former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is “awake and talking” in hospital after undergoing emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage. 

Ferguson, 76, collapsed at home on Saturday and was placed in an induced coma at Salford Royal Hospital. Last night the hospital stated that the Scot was “doing well” and friends have said he is “sitting up talking and asking about his results”.

A source told the Sun: “The prognosis is good and his closest friends in football are being kept abreast of any developments.”

Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles as United manager and after news broke of his health scare players, managers and officials sent messages of support to the legendary boss.

United thanked the football world for the “many warm and touching comments from other clubs, governing bodies and individuals in the beautiful game”. Fifa, Uefa, the Football Association, the Scottish FA and his former club Aberdeen were among those to send messages.

Current United skipper Michael Carrick, who played for seven years under Ferguson’s management, said he was “devastated” to hear the news about his former boss.

Carrick told MUTV: “I got a text on Saturday evening and I couldn’t quite believe it. It didn’t really sink in. I was just devastated. It’s one of them where you start hearing different things which is quite dangerous and quite disturbing. I just stayed calm and spoke to a few people at the club to get a bit of a rundown on how he was doing.

“The whole world showed their support and I was just concerned about him, as an ex-manager and a friend - as he was to everyone. It was the effect he had on everyone. He means a lot to me, as he does to this club.”

The Manchester Evening News reports that former United defender Rafael da Silva “broke down in tears” when he found out that Ferguson had suffered a brain haemorrhage.  

“I was in shock when I heard the news,” said Da Silva. “He is strong, I am sure he will come back [and] come out strong, I’m sure about that.”

Writing on his personal blog United star Juan Mata wished Ferguson a “speedy recovery” and vowed that the team will work hard to “honour” the Scot’s “winning mentality”.

The Spanish midfielder wrote: “I’ve never been coached by him, unfortunately, yet I know well his incomparable legacy on this club, that winning mentality that we must honour in the last three games of the season, especially in the FA Cup final. To achieve that, we are going to work hard while we eagerly await good news about Sir Alex’s recovery.”