Ally McCoist has a few gripes with Sir Alex Ferguson - and they relate back to the early days of his career
(Image credit: Getty Images)
To Ally McCoist, Sir Alex Ferguson isn't the greatest manager of all time. Surprising, considering both are proud Scotsmen who even spent time together at St Mirren.
At least, it's surprising until you learn that Sir Alex Ferguson chose not to give McCoist a professional contract when the young striker was still making his way in the game. McCoist gripe with the legendary Manchester United manager becomes even clearer when realising that he opted against taking McCoist to Mexico for the 1986 World Cup.
When pointed out to him by FourFourTwo, McCoist - in jest, it must be said - highlights that's why Sir Alex doesn't sit atop his list of the greatest managers of all time.
Ferguson snubbed McCoist - twice - as a young manager (Image credit: Getty Images)
"I remind Sir Alex every time I meet him, and he laughs," McCoist exclusively explains to FFT.
"When I was a youngster, he’d pick me up from school and drive me over from East Kilbride to Paisley. I’d train with the kids at St Mirren, then wait for the first team to finish training and he’d drive me home. That was amazing. But he never signed me. I still tell him it’s the one thing that prevents him from being the greatest manager of all time!
"Even the very best managers can make some quite unbelievable errors. Obviously it was all a disappointment, but we still talk regularly and enjoy winding each other up about that."
McCoist's career didn't turn out too badly (Image credit: Getty Images)
Fortunately, McCoist didn't let those snubs by Sir Alex affect his career. St Johnstone decided to sign a 16-year-old McCoist, who became the the then-record Sunderland signing just three years later.
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The Scottish striker eventually went onto make 61 appearances for his nation, as well as spend 15 seasons at his boyhood side in Rangers, winning 10 league titles and countless other individual accolades.
Sometimes, even the best managers can get things wrong. Only sometimes, though.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
