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Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson surprised him by waiting at the airport when he signed for the club.
Berbatov joined the Red Devils from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2008 for a fee of £30.75 million. Spurs weren't entirely happy with the way Manchester United approached their star striker at the time, and had accused the Red Devils of making an illegal approach.
Tottenham eventually agreed to sell the Bulgarian for a chunky fee, and the forward went on to have a successful time under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Berbatov revealed in an interview that he was surprised to see Sir Alex at the airport when he arrived to sign for Manchester United.
He said:
"He did wait for me at the airport, which I was surprised to see, and I was shocked because as I said, it can be intimidating and especially for me, stepping out the plane and — bam! You see Sir Alex," revealed Berbatov.
"I was like, 'What do I say? How do I look? Do I sound stupid?' You ask yourself all these questions, but he was great, he drove us to Carrington, and in the car you can imagine how it was like a movie. I was just sitting there thinking, 'What do I say?' But this was a perfect day for me. Exhausting, nervous, but in the end it finished so well for me because this was my personal top," he added.
Sir Alex's unassuming attitude only added to his aura at Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson's ruthlessness was matched by his unassuming nature at times, which made him such a complete manager both on and off the pitch.
The Scottish manager oversaw a brief transition period in the mid 2000s, and strengthened the team with the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez.
Berbatov was a big hit at Old Trafford as his languid yet effective style fit the Red Devils. He scored 56 goals in 149 appearances for Manchester United and lifted the Premier League title twice under Sir Alex.
Although his overall goal tally isn't the greatest, he did win the Premier League's Golden Boot in the 2010-11 season after scoring 20 goals.
