A secret that couldn't be contained - inside story of Ferguson's retirement
- Published
Simon Stone, BBC Sport
Monday, 8 May 2023 marks 10 years since the seismic news of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement was confirmed by Manchester United.
The story broke in the media on the night before the official announcement, despite the extraordinary lengths United went to try and keep it secret.
A decade on, it could be argued the club still hasn't recovered from Ferguson's exit.
His departure was one of the biggest stories of the Premier League era - and it was extraordinarily difficult to keep it under wraps at perhaps the country's most-scrutinised club.
BBC Sport has spoken to a number of sources around United at that time for an insight into the process that ended with an amazing 5-5 draw in Ferguson's last game as a manager at West Brom on 19 May.