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Manchester United legenderay manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that one match he went to as a fan actually made him miss being involved in football management.
Ferguson retired from management in 2013 following a trophy-laden 26-year spell and bowed out on a high after winning his 13th Premier League title in his final season.
Since then, the 82-year-old has remained firmly on the sidelines and minimised his involvement in football.
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And it was watching a Champions League match just one year after retiring, made him realised how much he missed football.
The match in question was the 2014 Champions League final, that saw Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid overcome Atlético Madrid after extra time in a thrilling contest.
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Speaking to United's official website, Ferguson described the atmosphere of a big game and the camaraderie with players like Ronaldo making him realise he missed that part of the job.
I made the decision [to retire] because of Cathy's [his wife] sister dying and she was on her own, there was no doubt about that.
I took Cathy to the [2014] European Cup final the next year, when Real Madrid played Atletico Madrid in Lisbon. And that's the first time I said to myself, "I miss this."
I went down to see Ronaldo after the game, Carlo Ancelotti was the manager. He's a fantastic guy, and he saw me waiting in the corridor. He said, "Cristiano's going to the medical room to get treated, come in."
All the [Real Madrid] players came around and shook my hand. It was a really nice moment, you know.
That's probably the only time I said to myself, "I miss this," a big game like that.
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