Sir Alex Ferguson ‘nearly gave Man Utd legend’s dad a heart attack’ after arriving at his house to persuade him to join
SIR ALEX FERGUSON left a Manchester United legend’s dad absolutely gobsmacked when he turned up out of the blue to sign his son.
Fergie put many a personal touch on his pursuits of players during his 26-year-long reign at Old Trafford.
And his bid to sign former Red Devils hero John O’Shea was no different.
In 1998, current interim Republic of Ireland manager O’Shea was all set to join Celtic from Waterford Bohemians.
Ferguson, however, was eager to acquire his services, so much so he travelled to the Emerald Isle to convince him to move to England.
And his arrival at the versatile defender’s house scared the living daylights out of his dad, the late Jim O’Shea.
Dundee United manager and fellow Irishman Jim Goodwin told The Courier: “John was geared up to come to Celtic with me.
“But Sir Alex Ferguson turned up on his door in Waterford, completely out of the blue.
“His father nearly had a heart attack when he opened the door.
“He convinced John to go to Manchester United instead of Celtic.”
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O’Shea’s decision to snub a move to Parkhead after Fergie’s visit ultimately paid off.
He would go on to make 393 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 15 goals in his 12 seasons at the Theatre of Dreams.
O’Shea would win trophies galore at the club, winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups, one FA Cup and one Champions League.
O’Shea would enjoy seven seasons with Sunderland and a brief stint at Reading before retiring in April 2019.