Ferguson 'fine' after pacemaker surgery

Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday sought to reassure supporters of Manchester United that he was "feeling fine" after it was revealed that he has been fitted with a heart pacemaker.

Sir Alex, 62, who was treated for a heart irregularity in December, had the operation at a hospital in Manchester last week and returned to work the next day.

The United manager informed the board of directors in advance of the operation, which lasted about 90 minutes and has been performed on some 1.5 million people in Britain.

The device was fitted on the advice of doctors who treated Sir Alex for a minor heart irregularity, caused by too much coffee or anxiety, which also caused Tony Blair to be admitted to hospital for treatment in November last year.

Sir Alex said yesterday: "I want to reassure fans that everything is okay, I feel fine. It was an option for me to get this done. The club knew about it and I feel great, so it's business as usual. I enjoy the work I do and it will continue."

Although Sir Alex has a healthy diet and takes regular exercise, he has been under more pressure recently than at any other time during his 18 years as manager of one of the world's biggest football clubs.

Since the start of the year his team, the predominant side in domestic football for the past decade, have lost ground to Premier League rivals Arsenal, prompting some within the game to question his tactics and player purchases. He has also been operating for six months without a deputy. The despondency at Old Trafford deepened earlier this week when United unexpectedly failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Away from the pitch, Sir Alex has been embroiled in a bitter battle with the Irish tycoon John Magnier - a major shareholder at the club - over the stud rights to the horse Rock of Gibraltar, which they jointly own. Sir Alex has recently agreed an out-of-court settlement, but was said to be outraged that during the dispute doubts were cast over United's transfer deals.

Although no stranger to controversy, he has had the added pressure recently of a dispute with the Football Association over a ban imposed on the defender Rio Ferdinand for missing a drugs test and the fall-out from an ill-tempered home game against Arsenal.

Sir Alex is still haunted by the memory of Jock Stein, who collapsed and died of a heart attack alongside him in the Scotland dug-out during a World Cup game in Cardiff in 1985.

His operation follows a series of health scares involving other managers and highlights the pressures in the modern game.

Midway through a league game in October 2001, the Liverpool boss, Gerard Houllier, was rushed to hospital. He had an 11-hour heart operation which kept him out of the game for five months. In April 2003 West Ham's then manager, Glen Roeder, had surgery on a brain tumour and made a full recovery but was eventually sacked.

A United spokesman said: "Sir Alex is fine and in great spirits. The board knew about the operation in advance - it was no great secret here. Whether he has to follow a particular diet or exercise regime is a matter between him and his doctors."

One friend: "He looks after himself and doesn't smoke or drink spirits - only wine. He is very active and healthy from all his work on the training ground and playing golf. He eats good food - a lot of fish - and no rubbish. He has a lot of supporters at the club and I think he'll go on for ever."

Sport, page 84-85