“Always had him in a sweat” – Peter Schmeichel reveals player who ‘terrified’ Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson was the most successful manager in the Premier League during his time with Manchester United. The Scottish boss won 13 league titles across 27 years at Old Trafford.

Despite his vast success and reputation as one of the greatest tacticians of his time, a number of players still managed to trouble the legendary tactician. One of them is former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman.

As revealed by former Red Devils goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, Sir Alex Ferguson was terrified each time he faced Liverpool because of McManaman. The tactician would often come up with special tactics, including placing a marker on the ex-Liverpool star in a bid to limit his impact on the game.

Schmeichel explained how Sir Alex Ferguson used to man-mark Steve McManaman during the epic Liverpool and Manchester United clashes. According to the Dane, it isn't surprising considering just how much the legendary tactician feared the ex-Reds midfielder.

He revealed in his autobiography, One:

"In some ways, this was no surprise because Ferguson was terrified of McManaman. Steve was the only opposing player he ever paid attention to in the Premier League. I mean, he would mention Alan Shearer and other major opposing players in team talks but never with any fear. However, McManaman always had him in a sweat."

"And, to be fair, Steve was a fantastic footballer. Fergie's thinking was always that if you took McManaman out of the game, you took Liverpool out," he added.

Steve McManaman represented Liverpool between 1990 and 1999. The midfielder was a huge force to be reckoned with during his nine-year stint at Anfield. He recorded 66 goals and 86 assists to his name in 364 appearances across all competitions.

Sir Alex Ferguson holds the record for the most Premier League triumphs for a manager - 13

Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United spell in numbers

Sir Alex Ferguson spent a whopping 27 years at Manchester United, joining the Red Devils in 1986 and retiring in 2013. During his time at Old Trafford, the Scotsman took charge of 1303 games across all competitions, recording 800 victories, 274 draws and 229 defeats.

The manager claimed a total of 38 trophies during his time with Manchester United. It includes two Champions League crowns, 13 Premier League titles and five FA Cups among other trophies.