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    Man Utd legend Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest fear was losing his memory after suffering brain haemorrhage in 2018

    SIR ALEX FERGUSON feared he would lose his memory after suffering a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
    The world of football held it’s breath after the legendary former Manchester United manager was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

    Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he feared he would lose his memoryCredit: AFP – Getty

    But thankfully the procedure was a success, and after less than a month Fergie was back at home being nursed back to health by his loved ones.
    Now the 79-year-old is set to speak about the time he fought for his life in ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In’, out in the cinemas from May 27.
    It will then be available exclusively on Amazon Prime from May 29.
    Directed by his son Jason, the documentary will recount the most important stories of his life, both in and out of football.

    Speaking about the film, Fergie said: “Losing my memory was my biggest fear when I suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018.
    “In the making of this film I was able to revisit the most important moments of my life, good and bad.
    “Having my son Jason direct this film has ensured an honest and intimate account.”
    The documentary vows to show the football legend vividly recalling his career – recounting the stories behind his most influential defeats, trophies and players.

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    Sir Alex and wife Cathy, with their twins Jason and Darren back in the dayCredit: Getty – Contributor

    Fergie received a CBE from the Prince Of Wales in 1995Credit: PA:Press Association

    It charts his move from his own successful playing career and prolific goal-scoring at Scottish clubs, including Rangers, to his move into management and leading Aberdeen to the European Cup Winners’ Cup and then finally his move south to Old Trafford.
    After a testing few years at United, he turned the club’s fortunes around and led them to over two decades of consistent success.
    Under Ferguson’s guidance, Manchester United won a glittering array of trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles.
    He has won more trophies than any other manager in football history.
    The film features candid interviews with Sir Alex himself, his wife Cathy, his three sons, as well as former colleagues and elite players including Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Gordon Strachan and Archie Knox.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

    Sir Alex Ferguson is the most decorated manager of all timeCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

    The football legend still attends various sporting events when he canCredit: EPA

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    Man Utd name 17-year-old wonderkid Shola Shoretire in Europa League squad to face Real Sociedad

    MANCHESTER UNITED have named 17-year-old starlet Shola Shoretire in their squad for the Europa League last 32 tie against Real Sociedad.
    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils enter the Europa League at the first knockout stage after finishing third in their Champions League group.

    Shola Shoretire has been named in a 27-man squad ahead of Manchester United’s Europa League game against Real SociedadCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Teenage forward Shoretire has already begun training with the first team, having impressed under Neil Wood with the Under-23s.
    He was promoted to the senior side – alongside French prodigy Hannibal Mejbri – after smashing home a hat-trick against Blackburn Rovers for the youth side.
    The talented youngster only signed professional terms at Old Trafford earlier this month.
    Shoretire has been named in an initial 27-strong group that includes four goalkeepers.

    Clubs are allowed to name 12 substitutes which means Shoretire has a good chance of making the cut for the travelling party.
    Amad Diallo is also in the squad after his £37million move from Atalanta in January.
    Academy boss Wood warned the club to be patient with the 18-year-old Ivorian who has made a big impact already at Carrington.
    Diallo bagged three goals and as many assists in his first two games for the Under-23s, including a cheeky Panenka penalty.

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    United will travel to Turin rather than the Basque country for Thursday night’s game amid coronavirus travel restrictions.
    But Uefa have given the club the green light to host the return leg on home soil as Sociedad will have spent less than 48 hours in Manchester, meaning they are not bound by the requirements so can play at Old Trafford.
    United finished behind Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in Europe’s premier competition and now face a two-legged tie against LaLiga side Sociedad.
    Solskjaer’s men crashed out at the semi-final stage of the tournament last season, losing to eventual winners Sevilla.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals club hasn’t even begun contract talks despite his deal ending next summer

    OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER says he is happy to put talks over his future on hold while he looks to win silverware with Manchester United.
    The Norwegian will just have one year left on his existing deal at Old Trafford by the end of the season.

    Solskjaer is more focused on the team than his own future at the momentCredit: EPA

    The United boss wants to ‘stabilise things’ and has just tied Mason Greenwood down to a new long-term dealCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Sunsport exclusively revealed last week that the club would wait until the summer before they opened negotiations about a new contract.
    And the United boss has now confirmed there is nothing pencilled in yet as he chases glory on three fronts with the Red Devils.
    Solskjaer, 47, said: “I have not thought about that, and we have not discussed it at all.
    “I am just focusing on doing my job and part of the job is to stabilise things.”

    United have now gone three-and-a-half years without winning any trophies with Solskjaer unable to end that drought so far.
    However he insists things are very much on track with the targets set out when he took the job two years ago still being met.
    He told Norwegian paper VG: “On the inside it is more stable.
    “We feel like we are on our way towards what we sat down and discussed, what we planned.

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    Solskjaer says there is no rush to sort out his deal with United owners Avram and Joel GlazerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    “I know that there has been a lot of criticism and discussions about one thing or another.
    “But if you first set a course, then I at least have so much faith in myself that I do not waver too much.” 
    United have taken just six points from their last five matches to allow neighbours Manchester City to open up a sizeable gap.
    And Solskjaer said: “We have a job to do in order to find consistency on the pitch. Outside the pitch it is still a crisis if you lose a game.
    “If you concede a goal in stoppage time against Everton, it still creates big headlines. That can happen in football.”

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    Man Utd stars Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are each other’s ‘problem’ and don’t work as pair, blasts Gary Neville

    HARRY MAGUIRE and Victor Lindelof are holding Manchester United back because they cannot form a partnership, Gary Neville has claimed.
    The Red Devils legend highlighted the centre-backs, alongside goalkeeper David de Gea, as the big stumbling blocks in his old team’s title bid.

    Doubts have been raised over Harry Maguire and Victor LindelofCredit: PA:Press Association

    A run of one win in five games in the Premier League has left United seven points off leaders Manchester City, who even have a game in hand.
    And although they are the top scorers, the side boasts a defence that only ranks 12th in the Premier League for goals conceded.
    Neville believes the problem is Lindelof and Maguire’s incompatibility.
    The 45-year-old told Monday Night Football: “Lindelof’s problem is Maguire, Maguire’s problem is Lindelof.

    “I think [Lindelof] is a really good player by the way, I think he understands the game, I think he reads the game, I think he’s a good defender.
    “I think if he was alongside a Rio Ferdinand or a [Virgil] van Dijk I think he’d make a great pair.
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    “The problem is he’s alongside somebody who isn’t the most mobile in Harry Maguire.

    “And that’s the problem Lindelof’s got, that they’ve invested £80million in Harry Maguire, so they’re going to need to put someone alongside him.
    “If Liverpool were looking for a centre-back pairing, I think he’d do a really good job alongside Van Dijk – but not alongside Maguire.
    “They both just drop back a little bit and you need somebody to get up the pitch – more front foot, more aggressive, and step past the striker.
    “You’ve got to have the nerve to make the stomach churn a little bit when there’s a bit too much space in behind than there ordinarily would be, and that’s what the best teams have.”
    Fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher agreed that Lindelof was too easy to ‘bully’ for opposition forwards.

    The Swede lost the physical battle with Mbaye Diagne as West Brom took an early lead in Sunday’s 1-1 draw.
    Neville described how United’s record of 31 goals let in over 24 games so far was miles behind the necessary level required to win the league.
    He added: “The key thing is that only one of the last 20 Premier League champions have conceded one goal per game or more.
    “If you think of all the teams that have won the league, that triangle of the goalkeeper and two centre-backs, they are solid as a rock and are dominant.
    “And these three are not dominant. They concede too many goals, so Manchester United have to look at that.”
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

    Gary Neville detailed the importance of a strong defence with Rio Ferdinand (left) a prime exampleCredit: Reuters

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    Man Utd star Paul Pogba facing another two weeks on sidelines with thigh injury in huge blow for boss Solskjaer

    MANCHESTER UNITED are set to be without Paul Pogba for another fortnight due to a persistent thigh injury.
    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed the Frenchman’s absence before the draw with West Brom but now it appears he may not be back until the end of the month.

    Paul Pogba suffered a thigh injury in the recent draw with EvertonCredit: Reuters

    According to the Mail, no timeframe has been placed on Pogba’s eventual return to the side.
    But it is said that he will sit out another two weeks of United’s hectic fixture schedule.
    A trip to Italy is next up with Real Sociedad hosting the first leg of their Europa League knockout tie, moved from San Sebastian due to coronavirus restrictions.
    United then face Newcastle in the Premier League before the return leg against Sociedad, with Pogba set to miss both games.

    The Frenchman, 27, is reportedly looking at a comeback against Chelsea on February 28 at the earliest.
    A rare midweek off then follows before another crucial league fixture, away to Manchester City.
    The situation has ended one selection headache for United boss Solskjaer, who had seemed to settle on the midfielder playing wide in his 4-2-3-1 before the injury.
    Spectacular winners against Fulham and Burnley came before he featured in a defeat to Sheffield United and draw to Arsenal.

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    Pogba then watched the Red Devils’ 9-0 demolition of Southampton from the bench and lasted just 39 minutes in the draw with Everton before the injury hit.
    After the game, Solskjaer accepted that the player would ‘definitely’ be out for a few weeks.
    He added: “We’ve been very healthy and strong for a long period, so we can’t moan too much.”
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Adnan Januzaj insists he has ‘nothing to prove’ to Man Utd and hits out over lack of game time while at Old Trafford

    ADNAN JANUZAJ believes he has ‘nothing to prove’ on his return to Manchester United.
    Real Sociedad face the Red Devils in the first knockout round of the Europa League, with the first leg taking place in Turin on Thursday.

    Adnan Januzaj has recalled his difficult period under Louis van Gaal at Manchester UnitedCredit: Action Images – Reuters

    The meeting will be Januzaj’s first encounter with United since he ended a six-year association with the Premier League giants in 2017.
    Once tipped as the next big thing, the 26-year-old winger has found good form in Spain and still describes his old team as ‘the club I love’.
    He told ESPN: “I don’t have to prove to anyone, I know my qualities.
    “I don’t have to prove to anyone how good I am, I just have to believe in myself, get my games and be happy.

    “I’m really happy to go back there, the club I love.
    “Once I’m on the pitch, there’s going to be no friends because obviously I’m playing for another club now and also I want to win the game.

    “I want to go through with my team. I’m really happy to go back there to see the people but once I’m on the pitch there will be no friends.”
    Januzaj made his debut in David Moyes’ first game in charge having impressed in the youth ranks during Sir Alex Ferguson’s later years at the club.

    Despite a promising run in the side, the Belgium international struggled for game time under Louis van Gaal and fell by the wayside.
    Sent on loan to Borussia Dortmund and Sunderland, where he was relegated in a reunion with Moyes, Januzaj explained his frustration at missing out under the Dutch coach.
    The midfielder recalled: “I had Fergie and David Moyes, coaches that were believing in me, but then some others came in and they wanted a bit more experience in the team.
    “I was a young boy and when you’re a young boy you have to shut up and do what people tell you to do.
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    Januzaj (right) is a regular in Real Sociedad’s experienced setupCredit: AFP or licensors

    “I didn’t have the right coach to push me. For example when Van Gaal came I was playing one game out of six so it was difficult and I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’.
    “The first season under Moyes I was getting game time to show myself. At Manchester United, the most disappointing thing was that I wasn’t getting games.”
    Januzaj started in Real Sociedad’s win at Getafe on the weekend and the LaLiga side, home to fellow Prem old boys David Silva and Nacho Monreal, are the designated home team for Thursday’s 5.55pm kick-off.
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Lingard claims Man Utd boss Solskjaer didn’t give him a chance despite being ‘one of strongest and fittest in squad’

    JESSE LINGARD has hit back at being dropped by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite being the ‘fittest’ player at Manchester United last season.
    The Red Devils boss dropped Lingard, 28, ahead of football’s pandemic shutdown and gave him little game time despite the midfielder’s pleas.

    Jesse Lingard has spoken of his attempt at a career revival over lockdownCredit: AP:Associated Press

    Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer left out the midfielder for a long periodCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Having scored on Solskjaer’s debut as United boss in December 2018, the academy product went on a long goalless run in the league that lasted until the final day of the following season.
    But Lingard has detailed a fresh approach formulated during the first lockdown to get himself out of the rut.
    He told BT Sport: “During the lockdown I recapped my best moments playing football – the season under Jose [Mourinho] where I scored all of those goals and went to the World Cup and the season when Ole came in and I started well.
    “So I started recapping a lot of games to see where I did well, getting that fire in my belly and drive again to go and kick on because it would have been easy for me to fall off and take the easy option out.

    “But a person like me who’s been through a lot and knows the game, I can’t just give it up like and I’ll always go out with a fight.
    “I came back one of the strongest and fittest after the lockdown and I didn’t get my chance that I was waiting on.
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    Lingard believes he was one of the strongest players at Manchester United before the summer restart of 2020Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    “But the whole time I was there and not playing I was doing extra training and keeping on top of my fitness for when the time was right.

    “So for me it’s about working hard and staying dedicated, and I went back to basics.”
    Lingard made only three appearances in the first half of this season, all in the cups, before a loan switch to West Ham.
    And he certainly made a quick impact with a brace on his debut versus Aston Villa.
    Named in the line-up for a third time against Sheffield United on Monday, the 24-capped England international should have a big chance to impress in the final months of the campaign.
    A spot in the Three Lions’ European Championship squad may be a long shot but Gareth Southgate was a big fan of Lingard’s in his Old Trafford prime.

    I’m concentrating on winning games for West Ham, playing regular football and getting back smiling and back to the old Jesse again.
    Jesse Lingard

    On a potential international return, he added: “It’s there in my mind.
    “I have my own targets that I have wrote down before I came to West Ham and as long as I can hit them, we’ll see which doors open for me.
    “For now I’m concentrating on winning games for West Ham and playing regular football and getting back smiling and back to the old Jesse again.”
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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    Man Utd star Marcus Rashford’s amazing end-of-school throwback pic with three pals who all went on to become footballers

    MANCHESTER UNITED star Marcus Rashford has posted a end-of-school throwback photo alongside three other boys who also became pro footballers.
    Rashford attended Ashton on Mersey School as a teenager, and the three others pictured, like him, all came through United’s academy.

    Marcus Rashford, bottom, uploaded this thrownback photo to Instagram, alongside fellow pros, left to right, Tosin Kehinde, Jimmy Dunne and Axel TuanzebeCredit: Instagram / @marcusrashford

    Rashford is starring in the United first teamCredit: EPA

    But only ONE of them are still at the club now and can call school dinners hero Rashford a team-mate.
    Taken around seven years ago, Rashford, now 23, is crouching down at the front of the snap he shared on Instagram.
    On the right is his United mate Axel Tuanzebe, looking dapper in his claret blazer.
    The 23-year-old defender made his competitive debut in an FA Cup game against Wigan Athletic in January 2017.

    He then spent time on loan at Aston Villa, but this season has been a part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team squad.
    On the left is now-Burnley player Jimmy Dunne.
    The 23-year-old left United for The Clarets in 2016 but has only made two senior appearances.
    He has spent time on loan at Barrow, Accrington, Hearts, Sunderland and Fleetwood.

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    Axel Tuanzebe has followed Rashford into the United first-teamCredit: PA:Press Association

    Jimmy Dunne is hoping to finally nail down a starting spot at BurnleyCredit: Reuters

    Tosin Kehinde left Manchester United in 2019 and is now with Danish side Randers FCCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    And finally on the left is Tosin Kehinde.
    Despite being offered a new deal at United, Kehinde opted to leave to join Portuguese side Feirense.
    But he failed to make an appearance for them, and the 22-year-old is now turning out for Randers FC in the Danish league.
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