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Sir Alex Ferguson has been pictured in public for the first time since a health scare saw him rushed to hospital in March.
The Manchester United legend, 84, was pictured at a restaurant in Wilmslow with a fan and looked in good spirits.
It marks a happy turn since his worry in March, when he was taken to hospital after falling ill at Old Trafford ahead of United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool.
That was only a precautionary measure before he went home to recuperate but all the same, it is good to see the 13-time Premier League winner looking sharp.
The fan who met him, Vimal Devassy, was so overawed by the encounter that he was left shaking.
He wrote on Instagram: ‘Not every photo tells a story – some capture a feeling.
Sir Alex Ferguson was pictured meeting a lucky fan in a Wilmslow restaurant
‘I wasn’t shaking because I met a football legend. I was shaking because I was standing beside a man who helped shape the journey of my idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.
‘I’m not the biggest Manchester United fan, but my admiration for Sir Alex Ferguson and the special relationship he built with Ronaldo has always inspired me.
‘A moment I’ll never forget. Thank you, Sir Alex.’
Devassy also told Sun Sport: ‘I met him at our restaurant, and before he left, I asked if he would mind taking a photo with me.
‘He happily agreed, which I really appreciated. It was a simple but special moment that I’ll always remember.’
Daily Mail Sport has also contacted Devassy.
Sir Alex – the most successful manager in United’s history – is a regular at United home and away matches and had travelled to Old Trafford ahead of the big Premier League game between his club and their great rivals Liverpool.
He did have a multi-million-pound gig as a global ambassador at the club, as well as access to the first-team dressing room, but those privileges have been cut under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles as Man United manager and still goes to the matches
Ferguson suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 from which he recovered after surgery. There is nothing to suggest his incident was related.
Ferguson, who retired as Manchester United manager in 2013, has had to face a series of life-altering challenges in recent years.
In May 2018 he underwent life-saving surgery after suffering a sudden brain haemorrhage.
Ferguson was given a 20 per cent chance to live by doctors but showed every ounce of his fighting spirit to defy the odds and make a recovery.
‘There were five brain haemorrhages that day,’ Ferguson, who was 76 at the time of the health shock, said in his 2021 ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In‘ film. ‘Three died. Two survived. You know you are lucky.’
Thirteen-time Premier League champion Ferguson also suffered the immense sadness of losing his wife Cathy in 2023.
Lady Cathy, Ferguson’s wife of 57 years, died aged 84 in 2023.
