Sir Alex Ferguson was known for clashing with players he felt weren't concentrating enough on their football.
Whether it was dragging Lee Sharpe and Ryan Giggs out of house parties or dropping Wayne Rooney for getting involved in tabloid scandals, the legendary former Manchester United boss was quick to dish out the hairdryer treatment to any star who stepped out of line.
Perhaps the greatest example of this was his very-public fallout with David Beckham in the lead up to Becks' transfer to Real Madrid in 2003. For Beckham's team-mates, it was clear the midfielder's love-affair with the limelight was to blame for his issues with Fergie.
“When a relationship like theirs is going strong, everything in the world seems fine,” says former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, who helped conquer Europe alongside Beckham between 1998 and 2002. “Everybody is happy when you’re winning football matches and for Fergie and Becks – for all of us – life was great.
“But if you were in the media too much, the manager was always a little bit edgier than before,” remembers Yorke. “Things start to deteriorate. Game time is affected. It was a whole different level with Becks to the rest of us, of course.”
Despite Beckham's heartbreaking exit, Yorke is quick to point out that the former England captain was a dream to play alongside during the glory years at Old Trafford.
“He was magnificent,” enthuses Yorke. “With someone like Becks, who could deliver a football at an incredibly consistent level, you would simply focus on getting yourself into a scoring position – you knew the ball was going to come over with such quality.”
Beckham claimed six Premier League titles and two FA Cups during his time at United, as well as the Champions League in 1999. After joining Real Madrid for €30 million, he won one La Liga title before departing for LA Galaxy in the summer of 2007.
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Manchester United transfer news is doing the rounds, with the Red Devils said to be in the market for several stars this summer.
Andre Onana is wanted in goal, Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani are wanted up front, while wonderkid Vitor Roque has been linked, too. Portuguese teen Joao Neves is on the radar, while his countryman Goncalo Ramos is in the crosshairs. United have also enquired about Theo Hernandez, while Jadon Sancho has been put up for sale.
Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford looks set to remain with a bumper new contract.
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