Ferguson’s incredible wage deal

Alex Ferguson has revealed that he struck a deal to ensure that he was paid the same salary as the top earners at Manchester United.

With football wage inflation growing at an incredible rate Wayne Rooney and others were picking up wages in excess of £200,000 a week with the next television deal likely to see the £500,000 a week barrier broken.

In 2010 it seemed certain that Rooney was on the verge of moving to Manchester City but a five year deal worth £200,000 a week ensured that he remained at Old Trafford.

Manchester United almost seemed to have been bullied into that deal but there was a silver lining for the manager as the deal was agreed.

In his new book Leading, Ferguson reveals: “When the Glazers and David Gill agreed to a big increase in Wayne Rooney’s salary in 2010, they wanted to know how I felt.

“I told them I did not think it fair that Rooney should earn twice what I made and Joel Glazer immediately said, ‘I totally agree with you, but what should we do?’ It was simple. We just agreed that no player should be paid more than me.”

Before he stepped down in 2013 there was one more bumper deal with Robin van Persie moving ahead of Rooney in the pay stakes when he moved from Arsenal in 2012.

Since retiring as manager the former Aberdeen and St Mirren boss has continued to bring in massive fees on top of his £2m a year ambassador role for Manchester United.

Harvard University have a deal with Ferguson to provide talks on his management approach with a theatre tour underway to promote his latest book.

One subject that he has failed to discuss is the ownership of the Rock of Gibraltar racehorse. Fergie was listed as a co-owner by John Magnier.

As the value of the horse rose the detail of the deal became disputed between the two men leading to an out of court settlement. A short time later Magnier and his partners sold their stake in Manchester United to the Glazier family to the dismay of many supporters with one group forming their own club FC United of Manchester on the back of the deal.