Sir Alex Ferguson says he was always a fan of Jordan Henderson as a player despite opting against signing the midfielder for Manchester United.
Henderson was scouted by the Reds during his time at Sunderland before he eventually made a move to Liverpool.
The midfielder has since written himself into the history books at Anfield, captaining Liverpool to both the Champions League and Premier League.
Ferguson has now revealed that, while he was a big fan of the midfielder as a player, doubts over his susceptibility to injuries meant that there was never a bid from Old Trafford.
“We were ready to make a bid for him,” Ferguson said during a virtual charity night for The Alzheimer’s Society.
“There was criticism from Brendan Rodgers about my assessment of Jordan. The actual story was we were ready to make a bid for him at Sunderland.
“I spoke to Steve Bruce. Our scouting/medical department said they weren’t happy with his running style.
“They said he could be the type to get injuries. I had to make sure players would always be available. But we loved Jordan as a player.
“He has proved that now. All the stories I hear about him tell me that I missed out on a really good person.”
Ferguson has previously relayed the story of his interest in Henderson in his autobiography, explaining that the midfielder moved slightly differently to other footballers.
He wrote: “We looked at Jordan Henderson a lot and Steve Bruce was unfailingly enthusiastic about him.
“Against that we noticed that Henderson runs from his knees, with a straight back, while the modern footballer runs from his hips.
“We thought his gait might cause him problems later in his career.”
That prompted criticism from then-Reds boss Rodgers, who said Ferguson should apologise for what he had written.
“I think if Sir Alex ever bumps into Jordan he might want to apologise for that,” he said.
“The comment surprised me, I have to be honest, coming from someone with such status in the game.
“Maybe it was meant as flippant but to a young player making his way in the game it could be damaging.
“Every player is different, and every player at this club has had his strengths and weaknesses medically assessed. The statement in terms of Jordan was inappropriate.”
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
