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Published 16:37 IST, May 5th 2020

Sir Alex Ferguson apologised to Van Persie, Kagawa after shock retirement in 2013

Sir Alex Ferguson's humility was on display at the time of retirement in 2013 when he apologised to club players Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa.

Reported by: Minaam Ansari
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Sir Alex Ferguson is regarded as one of the widely respected managers in the world of football, with almost every player holding the Scottish boss in high esteem. Ferguson's humility was again on display at the time of retirement in 2013 when he apologised to club players Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, as revealed by Evra. 

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Evra recalls Alex Ferguson's apologies to Van Persie

Former Manchester United defender Evra, while speaking to Manchester United podcast, revealed about the incident when Alex Ferguson apologised to Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa. Evra recalled the day when Alex Ferguson informed the team about his retirement. He claimed that he was bringing an end to his managerial career because his wife needed him. 

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Manchester United 2012-13: Why did Alex Ferguson apologise to Van Persie?

Evra revealed that Alex Ferguson specifically apologised to Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa because he had just bought them. Van Persie was signed in August 2012 on a four-year contract that could see him stay at the club until 2016. Van Persie had a great debut season with the Red Devils as he scored 30 goals, while also bagging 15 assists across all competitions that season. Kagawa too was signed by Alex Ferguson in June 2012 from Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund. 

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Manchester United 2012-13: Alex Ferguson wins Premier League in his final season

The two players could play only one season under Alex Ferguson before the manager left the club in 2013. However, he did manage to win his final Premier League title in his last season at Old Trafford, marking his 13th league title in all. He was subsequently replaced by David Moyes, who was managing Everton at that time. 

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16:37 IST, May 5th 2020