“You feel miserable when everyone’s watching” - Mikael Silvestre opens up on Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous hairdryer treatment at Manchester United 

Former Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has claimed he felt "miserable" when Sir Alex Ferguson gave him the hairdryer treatment during his time with the Red Devils. Ferguson was known to yell at players in the dressing room when things did not go according to plan, and many players feared the Scot's outbursts.

Silvestre spent nearly a decade at Manchester United after arriving from Inter Milan in 1999. He went on to join Arsenal in 2008 before finishing his career with Indian Super League side, Chennaiyin FC, in 2014.

During the launch of his new agency, Talent Lyfe, Silvestre spoke to Manchester Evening News about a host of topics, including Ferguson's infamous hairdryer treatment. The Frenchman said it felt terrible to be shouted at when there were so many people watching.

"People ask about that because I get that you wouldn't get that in a normal business. Coaches shout at you when you're young, but when you receive this, you're a grown-up. You feel miserable, you feel like you want to curl up and you feel like you want to leave the room as soon as possible!

"The most annoying part is that everybody's watching. It's the fact that there's 20 plus staff watching, you know? It's the physio, the kit man and everybody's there, listening to what the manager is telling you - you feel so bad."

Wayne Rooney on the hairdryer treatment at Manchester United

Wayne Rooney was also on the receiving end of the hairdryer treatment at Manchester United, and he shed light on it in his autobiography.

"There's nothing worse than getting the 'hairdryer' from Sir Alex. When it happens, the manager stands in the middle of the room and loses it at me. He gets right up in my face and shouts," Rooney wrote. "It feels like I've put my head in front of a BaByliss Turbo Power 2200. It's horrible. I don't like getting shouted at by anyone. It's hard for me to take, so sometimes I shout back. I tell him he's wrong and I'm right. Once I've cooled down, I usually realise it's the other way around."

Several former Manchester United players have spoken about Sir Alex Ferguson's hairdryer treatment and how it inspired them to do better on the pitch.