FERGIE BOMBSHELL: Manchester United icon admits fears he won't see Red Devils' new stadium - 'Death crosses my mind'

Sir Alex Ferguson admits that death crosses his mind but he is "not afraid of dying." However, the iconic Manchester United manager fears he may not be around to see his former side move into their proposed new stadium.

At 84, Ferguson has survived a brain haemorrhage and the loss of his beloved wife, Lady Cathy. Now, in his new book Games of My Life, 13-time Premier League champion Ferguson reflects on his mortality.

He writes: "I'm not one to dwell on what my Maker has in store for me, nor am I afraid of dying. Mortality is always with us, even at the most unexpected of times.

"I'm much more interested in squeezing the most out of life. There's much I want to do and a lot of people with whom I want to spend time.

"Yet, every now and again, death crosses my mind. When United announced their plans for a fabulous new stadium to replace Old Trafford, I found myself wondering whether I would be around to celebrate its opening.

"I hope they get to break ground quickly, because if it takes five years to complete, I'll be pushing ninety. However, I know I'll be at the ceremony one way or another – in person or in spirit."

United announced plans to build a new £2billion, 100,000-capacity stadium in 2025. It has a predicted five-to-six-year building timeline, provided everything goes smoothly and all approvals are in place.

But Ferguson may not have been around to even hear of the project had he not survived a severe brain haemorrhage in May 2018. His book focuses on 21 matches that defined his career or personal life. One of those games was his first appearance back at Old Trafford after the ordeal - a Premier League clash with Wolves.

"My world came perilously close to ending," Ferguson wrote. "On the day they operated on me at Salford Royal, four other patients also had surgery for the same complaint. Only two of us lived to tell the tale. The fact that less than half of us were still alive at the end of that day shows how many factors have to click into place for the ending to be a happy one.

"I survived, not because I received special treatment, but due to a series of fortunate events: I had quick-witted family members around me; well-informed advice was readily available; the paramedics knew exactly what to do; I received a timely pair of scans; the doctors operated as soon as they could; and I received wonderful care during my recovery. My heart goes out to the families of those who weren't as fortunate as me that day. I'm lucky I'm still here."

On the match and the reception he received before and during the 1-1 draw, he added: "From the moment I got out of the car at the stadium, I felt as if an entire community was opening its heart to me.

"It was overwhelming. I felt like I was returning to a familiar and much-loved cocoon. It was an extraordinary feeling. It signalled that I hadn't been forgotten, which I imagine is the fear of many retirees.

"I know that sounds daft, when my name is plastered on one of the stands at Old Trafford and there is a statue of me and a street that bears my name outside the ground. But, when you are lying by yourself in a hospital bed, it's all too easy to think that the rest of the world never knew you existed."

Another of the games covered in the book was the 2024 FA Cup final, in which United beat Manchester City. This was included as it succeeded the 2023 showpiece between the two rivals - one of the last games Ferguson attended before his wife passed away in October 2023, after 57 years of marriage.

"For me, the 2023 FA Cup final was particularly painful," Ferguson writes. "Even before the kick-off, it had a black cloud hanging over it because of Cathy's increasing frailty and pain at that time. After the game, I went straight from London back to Manchester and didn't get home until late. I just didn't want to be away from her overnight.

"A little over four months later, Cathy was gone. We had marked her passing with a moving service at St Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow. Our sons and older grandsons carried her coffin and I was enormously touched by the number of people from all parts of our life together who turned up to remember her.

"It meant the world to me. Our ever-expanding family and our friends were there – some of whom had known her for close to seventy years. There were also a lot of the United staff, a good number of former players and several managers.

"Our son Jason gave a moving and eloquent eulogy, which captured Cathy and was pitch-perfect. Two days after she died, her second great-grandchild had been born in Aberdeen. The baby was named Isla Catherine.

"And then, two days after her funeral, another great-grandchild arrived, born in London and named Archibald Alexander Sebastian. Cathy would have been over the moon."