Shock at Old Trafford. Ferguson collapses ahead of United vs Liverpool clash

Scottish coach Alex Ferguson has been taken to hospital after suffering a sudden illness while at Old Trafford to watch the Premier League clash between United and Liverpool that ended in a 3-2 victory.

The 84-year-old felt unwell shortly before kick-off, which required first aid on the pitch, before being taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for precautionary medical checks, according to British media.

Reports confirmed that Ferguson was fully conscious during his transfer and that his health had improved, as the case was treated as a preventive measure, with no signs of serious complications so far.

The club's management only issued a brief statement in which it confirmed that Sir Alex Ferguson's transfer to the hospital came only as a precautionary measure, noting that his condition is stable and under medical observation.

Immediately after the match, interim coach Michael Carrick expressed his great impression, especially that he did not have accurate details about Ferguson's health during the match, saying: "I don't know the latest developments, but I was affected by what happened and I hope he is okay," adding that he learned of the news before the match and that it had a clear psychological impact on him and the team.

Public sympathy for Ferguson

The incident sparked widespread reactions in the football community, with a number of football stars and coaches expressing their support and wishes for a speedy recovery for the Scottish coaching legend, including Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp (who was present with Liverpool fans), along with several players who posted messages of support on social media.

The news sparked a wave of concern in British sports circles, with Manchester United fans expressing their support for their historic coach, chanting his name inside the stands as soon as the news of his transfer to the hospital spread, and sports personalities wishing him a speedy recovery.

Ferguson's health has been closely monitored since suffering a serious brain hemorrhage in 2018, following which he underwent emergency surgery, before later returning to regular appearances in his former team's matches.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson is one of the most prominent and influential figures in the history of world football, as he was born on December 31, 1941 in the Scottish city of Glasgow, and grew up in a working environment before starting his career as a footballer in the center of attack with several Scottish clubs, including Queen's Park, Dunfermline and Rangers, and during that period he succeeded in drawing attention with his goalscoring abilities, but the most important transformation in his career came when he entered the world of coaching in 1974, where he started with Small local clubs before making a qualitative leap with Scottish club Aberdeen, which led him to break the dominance of the two giants Celtic and Rangers in Scottish football, achieving 3 league titles and several domestic championships, in addition to the historic European achievement of winning the European Cup Cup in 1983 at the expense of Real Madrid, which established his name as one of the best up-and-coming coaches in Europe at the time.

In 1986, Ferguson took over as manager of Manchester United at a time when the club was in a clear decline at domestic level, as they had not won a Premier League title for more than 20 years.

He also faced great pressure and fluctuating results in his early days before winning the FA Cup in 1990 was the decisive turning point in his project, and since then, he has succeeded in rebuilding the team completely, laying the foundations of a 26-year historical era, during which he relied on strict discipline, the ability to discover and refine talent, and tactical flexibility that enabled him to renew the team more than once without losing competitiveness.

Ferguson is United's Golden Age Maker

During his career with Manchester United, Ferguson led the club to its golden age, winning 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, two Champions League titles in 1999 and 2008, as well as the Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, bringing his total to 38 trophies with the club.

His most notable achievement was leading the team to a historic treble in 1999, when they won the league, cup and Champions League in one season, an unprecedented achievement for English football at the time.

Ferguson's imprint was not limited to results, but also extended to the entrenchment of a winning culture within the club, where his name was associated with the concepts of a competitive mindset, managerial discipline and the ability to deal with a dressing room full of stars.

He was also awarded the title of Cyr by the British crown in 1999 in recognition of his sporting achievements, before announcing his retirement from coaching in 2013 after winning the Premier League title in his final season.