United's Ferguson looks back on life and career in "Never Give In"

By Lisa Keddie

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson looks back on his life and career in a new documentary "Never Give In", recounting the triumphs as well as defeats on and off the pitch.

Directed by his son Jason, the film goes back to Ferguson's Glasgow roots, his playing career at Scottish clubs including Rangers and his 26-year tenure at Manchester United.

Widely considered as one of the greatest managers of all time, Ferguson, 79, also recounts how he suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2018 - an incident he has previously said he feared would cause him to lose his memory.

"My core desire and intention was to make a film that wasn't about football and ultimately, to make a film that could hopefully resonate with people who actually have no interest in football," Jason Ferguson told Reuters.

"He's obviously an iconic figure ... in terms of football, but the desire was to show who he is from a human point of view."

Father and son began recording audio interviews in 2016 for some 18 months before Jason Ferguson started on the film.

"There were certain things that came out of (the audio interviews) that I wasn't aware of that were more personal," said his son.

Ferguson went to Old Trafford in 1986 and stayed until 2013. Under his tenure, Manchester United won the Champions League twice, the Premier League 13 times and the FA Cup five times. He was knighted in 1999.

The film also features interviews with family members, doctors and players including Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs.

Jason Ferguson said his father had seen the film before and after it was finished and had found it "emotional".

"He just said 'it's me, warts and all'. And that was really it," he said.

(Reporting by Lisa Keddie; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Gareth Jones)