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Micah Richards recalls Alex Ferguson antics in Manchester Derby

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards provided a startling insight of what it was like t...



Micah Richards recalls Alex Fe...
Soccer

Micah Richards recalls Alex Ferguson antics in Manchester Derby

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards provided a startling insight of what it was like to go up against a Manchester United team managed by Alex Ferguson. 

A young full-back playing in one of his first Manchester Derbies, Micah Richards found that he was equipping himself well enough with a man more familiar than most with this fixture.

"There was a point in the match when Ryan Giggs found himself under the cosh from Ferguson, as I had handled myself well," Richards recounted in his Daily Mail column.

"He stood on the touchline, in that way of his with one hand in his pocket, and began shouting to Giggs."

What Richards encountered next was a masterclass in how the legendary United boss kept his players on edge - irrespective of how experienced or talented they were.

Alex Ferguson

Keeping close to his man, Richards couldn't but hear what Alex Ferguson started saying to his winger.

"'You! Giggsy! You’ll becoming to sit here next to me if you don’t start beating this young boy! What’s the matter with you! Come on!'," Richards recalled hearing.

"When I heard this, I looked over and Ferguson was looking at me. I looked at Giggs and could see he was laughing. He knew… anything to get an edge."

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However, the young English full-back had more than enough to hold his own.

"It didn’t fluster me but such a tactic would have worked on others," he insisted. "You used to see him standing in the tunnel before matches, leaning on officials and exuding this aura.

"You weren’t just going into battle – you felt like you were confronting The Messiah."

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Alex Ferguson Manchester City Manchester United Micah Richards