Sir Alex Ferguson reveals truth about infamous 'hairdryer treatment' at Manchester United

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has a reputation for being one of the most fearsome managers in football history, with his red cheeks, grumpy expression and stubborn nature all adding to his aura.

But remarkably the Scot says he didn’t rule by fear at Manchester United, and claims he only used his hairdryer treatment six times in his 27 years in the Old Trafford dugout.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson - (Joerg Sarbach/AP) — (Joerg Sarbach/AP)

The 74-year-old was known for delivering verbal volleys at his players so intense they earned the hairdryer nickname, with Wayne Rooney saying in his book there was “nothing worse” to experience.

Rooney has obviously forgotten his own painful World Cup 2010 performances, while Ferguson insists he rarely used his full force during his reign and only exploded when his players dared to talk back.

“There was a lot of myth about it. It happened about half a dozen times in 27 years and the players will tell you that,” Ferguson said at the World Business Forum in Milan in quotes reported by the Sun.

“The problem for me was if a player answered me back, I headed towards them. That was my problem,” continued the two-time Champions League winner.

David Beckham's injured eyebrow - (Martin Rickett/PA) — (Martin Rickett/PA)

“Jock Stein always said to me, ‘Leave it until Monday to talk to them’, but I said I couldn’t wait until Monday. So, on a Saturday after the game, I told them exactly how I felt, because we had trained at a level all week that I expected to win every game.

“I told them exactly the truth and the truth works. All the players understood that and it was never held against me. Then the next day it is pushed aside and I’m prepared to win again. I never ruled by fear.

“Name a Manchester United team that played with fear. My job was to get a positive attitude into that team, for them to express themselves, never give in and enjoy playing for the club. That is sacrosanct.”

In case you’re wondering, six hairdryer treatments during his time at Old Trafford is an average of once every four-and-a-bit years, which we very much struggle to believe.