Sir Alex Ferguson was famous for his legendary outbursts at his players and former United stat Henning Berg was given a dressing down by the Scot that he’ll likely remember for the rest of his days
Henning Berg was once given the hairdryer treatment by Sir Alex(Image: Jamie McDonald /Allsport)
Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was once so incensed with rage toward former Red Devil Henning Berg that he told the player to find a new club.
While Ferguson is known for his astronomical success with United, his fierce temperament in the changing room was equally as famous. In just 19 words he gave Berg a dressing down to remember, saying: “Don’t even bother turning up again, find yourself a new club when you are away with your national team.”
Berg played at Old Trafford between 1997-2000. He found himself in the sights of the iconic Scotsman in his final year at the club after United, who were the reigning champions of Europe, were knocked out of the the competition by Real Madrid.
United had managed to secure a 0-0 draw at the Santiago Bernabeau in the first leg. However, they lost the return tie 3-2. According to ex United player and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ferguson lambasted Berg for the role the Norwegian star played in United conceding.
As per Solskjaer, in Bring On United by Andy Mitten, the Madrid incident was the beginning of the end for Berg’s United career, with the Norwegian later risking Ferguson’s wrath once again.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Henning Berg and Ronny Johnson celebrate after winning the 1999 Premier League(Image: 1999 Manchester United)
“The home game [against Madrid] was where Redondo did the backheel past Henning,” Solskjaer said. “Henning wasn’t a right-back but he was in the right-back position when that happened and this was his last full season at United. He had a tough time at that moment. Henning was a very good player and a good guy.
“He was 100 per cent, he didn’t want headlines, but you could trust him, on and off the pitch. But the next season he came on at half-time at West Ham away when we were winning 2–0 but we drew 2–2 and got battered by the gaffer after that game.
“He said, ‘Don’t even bother turning up again, find your- self a new club when you are away with your national team.’ I was watching that thinking, ‘He doesn’t really mean that, he’s saying it in the heat of the moment,’ which I think it was.
Ferguson was furious with Henning Berg(Image: 2011 Manchester United FC)
“The next day, Steve McClaren [then-United assistant manager] rang our home phone at my mum and dad’s in Norway. I didn’t have a mobile phone, I wasn’t too bothered about people being able to get hold of me. Steve asked me to speak to Henning and say that the gaffer didn’t mean it and to calm the situation, which I did. But Henning never played another game for United.”
Offering up his side of events on the UTD podcast in 2022, Berg, now 56, revealed just how managed to find himself front and centre for Ferguson’s famous ‘hairdryer’ treatment.
“We played West Ham away. I think I came on at half-time,” Berg said. “Then, Joe Cole was a young up-and-coming star. We hadn’t seen too much of him. He was too good, technically, and I made a [foul for a] penalty, so West Ham got a goal from the penalty. Then I think Paolo Di Canio crossed it for them to score the equaliser.
The story comes from the book ‘Bring on United'(Image: Bring on United)
“I cut out the pass on the inside and then he faked, as he always did, then he turned and cut it back, and I got blamed for that as well [laughs]. He [Ferguson] was a little bit angry after the game – this is true.”
Despite Berg leaving soon after, he revealed that Sir Alex was never apologetic for his explosive tirade. “We did speak about it the week after,” Berg continued.
“He called me into the office and said, ‘Listen, I know what I said’. And he explained why he said these things, but he also said, ‘Maybe it was also this and this…’ which was… okay. But he didn’t excuse himself for what he said. Because that’s how he is, and he should never do that anyway. So I think he handled it in a good way.”
Berg won two Premier League titles with United and was part of the legendary treble winning side of 1999. He went on to re-join Blackburn Rovers, and then moved to Rangers where he retired in 2004.
Bring On United is available to order now in hardback version, ebook and audio following its release on November 7, 2024.
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