From the Manchester Evening News, UK:
Patrice Evra has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson had a special apology for two United players when he retired seven years ago.
The legendary Manchester United manager ended his spell at Old Trafford in 2013 after an incredible period of dominance at the club.
Ferguson surprised many when he announced his retirement before the end of the season with his first-team squad equally shocked to hear of the announcement.
It was a bitter blow for Evra to lose such an influential coach, but he has revealed how Ferguson was particularly sorry he only managed Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa for one season following their arrival the previous summer.
“After two weeks, we were in the dressing room waiting,” Evra told the UTD Podcast. “When we arrived at Carrington, I see all those cameras and I was like: ‘Wow, someone has done something wrong. Maybe a player is the story again! Someone has done something wrong, we are in trouble.’
“But we arrived and people said, ‘Guys, you have to stay in the dressing room because the boss wants to have a chat’. And when the boss came into the dressing room to talk to everyone, it’s never good news.
“He came, and he said, ‘I’m really sorry. Some people have said that I’m going to retire even before I say it myself. That’s why you saw all those cameras. But I will retire because my wife needs me’. He apologised to [Robin] van Persie, he apologised to Shinji [Kagawa], because he just bought them. He apologised to them especially.”
What a gentleman Sir Alex is!