The Manchester United manager talked to Patsy McGarry at Knock Airport yesterday
Hundreds of Manchester United fans gathered at Knock Airport yesterday to greet the club's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who was en route to a supporters' club meeting in Westport, Co Mayo.
In a series of interviews, Sir Alex referred to the sectarianism he encountered at Rangers because he married a Catholic; confirmed he is likely to sign a new contract with United next week; and repeated his admiration for Roy Keane - the "greatest footballer" he had dealt with as a manager.
He said that the bigotry he experienced as a player with Rangers was "down to one individual". It was "disappointing".
Sir Alex, who was born in Glasgow and had been a Rangers supporter all his life, became a target for abuse because his wife, Cathy, was a Catholic. Memories of his time at the Glasgow club were revived when Manchester United played Rangers in the European Champions League last week.
Speaking to The Irish Times at Knock International Airport yesterday, he said, tongue-in-cheek, that he was delighted when Rangers supporters booed Roy Keane and John O'Shea during that match - he had expected they were going to boo him instead, he said.
He confirmed that he would probably sign a new contract with United next week.
Talking about his change-of-mind on retirement some years ago - he had announced his intention to stand down, but then changed his mind and signed a new contract - he said he regretted the comments he had made about retirement because these had "put pressure on everyone".
Cathy, his wife, had spoken on the matter, he said. She told him he was not retiring, and he was "forced to toe the party line".
When one reached one's 60s, two things mattered, he said: "health and whether you enjoy what you are doing". His health was fine and he "really enjoyed the job".
Sir Alex was welcomed to Knock by Mr Joe Kennedy, a personal friend who is chairman of the airport board, its chief executive Mr Liam Scollan, and the airport marketing manager, Mr Desmond O'Flynn.
At a brief press conference he expressed surprise at the warmth of the reception, particularly after United's 3-1 defeat by Fulham on Saturday.
Defending his decision not to play Roy Keane on Saturday, he said the player was not fit. As Keane was 32, "we have to be realistic . . . the player has to be rested at the right times" to prolong his football career.
Besides, he noted, the club never got through a season without blips and "October is never a great month for United".
Keane, he said, was "a marvellous player, a marvellous person" and the "greatest footballer" he had dealt with. He was "the most influential player" at Manchester United.
In an interview with Gerry Glennon on Mid West Radio later, he said he understood Keane's position perfectly in Saipan last year.
The player's principles were very high and "he wanted to do the very best for Ireland . . . and there is no question of the great Irishman that he is." What occurred was "a sad moment for everyone".
He agreed he was often criticised about releasing players to play in internationals, especially when England were playing, but insisted he never denied a player the right to play for his country. He did, however, disagree with international friendlies involving club players taking place in March or April.
He would not comment on the book about the club currently being serialised in the News of the World. Written by the club's former head of security, it claims that Sir Alex had players secretly followed by security personnel as well as having his own home scoured for listening devices. Sir Alex said he had not seen the book. He felt the club might comment, and he thought the right thing to do was to await that.
Later, in the Knock Airport chairman's office, he sipped a glass of Château Léoville Barton 1996 with Mr Kennedy and airport executives.
He told Mid West Radio he was currently reading the book Unfinished Business, about John F. Kennedy. One of his favourite books, he said, was How the Scots Invented the Modern World.