Michael Owen has spoken out about his “shock” upon finding that Sir Alex Ferguson had been taken to hospital, saying that he had spoken to the Manchester United icon only 24 hours before. The renowned former manager became unwell just before the Red Devils’ Premier League triumph over Liverpool, causing alarm around the football world.
The renowned manager was reportedly at Old Trafford, ready to watch United face their traditional rivals, when he began to feel ill. According to reports, Ferguson was taken to the hospital more than an hour before the game was due to begin Sunday afternoon. The decision was stated as a precautionary move to guarantee the safety of the club’s most successful manager to date.
While the incident’s abrupt nature sparked instant concern among United fans, more positive news has since emerged. According to talkSPORT, Ferguson has already been allowed to return home to continue his recovery, with some observers believing the situation is less serious than previously thought.
Former Manchester United striker Owen was among those surprised by the swift turn of events, sharing details of a lengthy phone conversation he had with Ferguson just a day before the Scotsman was hospitalised. Speaking on talkSPORT, Owen explained that the 84-year-old seemed in excellent spirits and perfect health during their Saturday morning catch-up.
“I spoke to him, I was on the phone to him for 40 minutes that morning,” Owen revealed. “We’re talking about football. We’re talking about horses. As I say, he’s got horses here [at Manor House Stables]. Most Saturday mornings, he gives me a call, and we go through all the horses for the day, and we share what we know and things like that.”
Owen, who spent three seasons under Ferguson at Old Trafford, noted that there were no warning signs regarding his former boss’ condition. “I speak to him regularly, and he sounded absolutely brilliant, sharp as a tack as normal,” he added. “We were talking a lot about Scottish football and what was happening up there. So it was such a shock to hear, obviously, that the next day he was taken unwell, but hopefully it’s not too serious.”
The bond between Owen and Ferguson has remained strong long after their professional relationship ended in 2012, largely due to their mutual love for horse racing. Owen even joked that he expects a call from the former manager very soon to discuss upcoming races at Chester.
“I haven’t [had the chance to speak with him] since, but I would expect a message on my phone any time now because he’ll see that we’ve got four or five runners today at Chester and he’ll be wondering what’s going on. Which horse should he be looking at?” Owen said.
