“We’d like you to stop playing football” – Ex-Manchester United star reveals how Sir Alex Ferguson offered him £100,000 to retire

Former Manchester United star Paul McGrath has shed light on the time he was offered £100,000 by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to stop playing for the club.

McGrath joined the Red Devils in 1982 and went on to make 69 appearances for the club. He won the FA Cup in 1985 and made the PFA Team of the Year in the 1985-86 season.

Things changed for him at Old Trafford after the arrival of Sir Alex in 1986. McGrath self admittedly battled alcoholism during his playing days and the Scottish tactician wanted to do away with the problem of drinking within the then-Manchester United squad.

McGrath, as a result, was offered a six-digit figure on the spot to leave the club once and for all. Speaking recently to the Telegraph (h/t Daily Star), the former Republic of Ireland international revealed:

"Sir Alex got me into the room and just said, 'We’d like you to stop playing football.' Simple as that. And he said they were willing to give me £100,000 to quit playing football altogether and just go back to Ireland."

He added:

"I was thinking about it because £100,000 back then was quite a lot of money. But I spoke to [teammates] Kevin Moran and Bryan Robson, and I just said I wanted to play on because I thought I could still do something in football."

McGrath concluded:

"So Gordon Taylor, who was at the PFA, went into Sir Alex and said, ‘Paul’s playing on, you can fine him, you can do what you want but he’s going to play football - here or somewhere else.'"

McGrath left Manchester United for Aston Villa in 1989, where he won two League Cups and the PFA 'Players' Player of the Year' award (1993).

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Barcelona star refuses to close door on Manchester United transfer

Manchester United target Frenkie de Jong has revealed that he is happy at Barcelona. The Netherlands international was the subject of heavy interest from the Red Devils last summer.

He stayed on with the Blaugrana, for whom he has played 24 times across competitions this term. Speaking to Ziggo Sport (h/t SPORT) about a potential move to Manchester United, the 25-year-old revealed:

"I don't think so, although you never know, but I'm very happy in Barcelona."

De Jong's comments indicate that he isn't fully closing the door on a potential transfer away from Spotify Camp Nou. His current deal runs until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

The Dutch midfielder enjoyed two years at Ajax with current United boss Erik ten Hag, where they won the Eredivisie title in the 2018-19 campaign.