The pair exchanged words briefly at the Munich Air Disaster 60th anniversary service.
During Tuesday’s event marking the 60th anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster, Alex Ferguson could be seen meeting the current Manchester United team.
He shook Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s hand but stopped young midfielder Scott McTominay for a second. The legendary manager whispered a few words into his fellow Scot’s ear before letting him go.
The next person to greet Ferguson was Jose Mourinho. Clearly pointing in McTominay’s direction, Fergie appeared to offer some words of wisdom to the current United boss.
While we don’t know what was said, the conclusion seems to be that it was something along the lines of ‘keep giving that lad plenty of opportunities.’ You can see the footage below.
https://twitter.com/utdxtra/status/960988112162877440
McTominay has broke into the first-team at Old Trafford this season and started Saturday’s Premier League win over Huddersfield. The 21-year-old, whose metronomic presence in the centre of the pitch has drawn comparisons to soon-to-be retired teammate Michael Carrick, also completed 90 minutes in the recent FA Cup victory at Yeovil Town and the Champions League win over Benfica in October.
It’s clear that Mourinho holds the Lancaster-born player in high regard. Following the Huddersfield game, Mourinho said:
“The kid grew up with the game. He started nervous but then grew up in the game and he was fundamental for us in the way he gave us that desire to recover the ball. I made changes thinking about the characteristics of this game and this kid has a great desire to recover the ball. He’s a kid that chases the ball, tries to recover high up the pitch and when he has the ball he plays always simple.”
Ferguson may have retired in 2013 but his influence at United remains indisputable. When he speaks, people tend to listen and, if he was encouraging Mourinho to stick with McTominay, it should bode well for the midfielder’s immediate future.
https://twitter.com/utdxtra/status/960992676039491584
