Ex-Manchester United and Scotland star Alan Brazil has admitted he used to ruin Sir Alex Ferguson's garden every time he walked past his house.
Fergie has rubbed a few people up the wrong way during his managerial career. But, unlike most, the now-talkSPORT pundit's ill-feeling derived from his fellow Scotsman's playing career, rather than his time in the dugout.
When Brazil was a teenager, he grew up a stone's throw away from Ferguson, who was leading Rangers' frontline at the time. Before he broke onto the scene at Ipswich Town, Brazil was a passionate Celtic fan who played in the Bhoys' youth teams.
Despite living on the same street, the now 64-year-old had no neighbourly love towards his Rangers foe. Every time the then-teenager strolled past, he made that clear by attacking Ferguson's garden.
“A little story about Fergie,” the now talkSPORT pundit said on the Formula For Success podcast. “I was born in the same hospital as Fergie, over in Govan, near what I call Castle Greyskulls.
“And then we moved to a little place called Simshill, and Fergie was very close to me! And he was the Rangers centre forward at the time, and I’m ashamed to say we’d go down to a place called Linn Park [in Glasgow] and play football down there.
“And on the way back, we’d always pass Fergie’s house - and I would pick his flowers, because he was the Rangers No.9. And that’s shocking, that is. Those were bad days.”
Ironically, Brazil would never make a senior appearance for the Bhoys, but he did forge a successful football career in England. After moving to Ipswich in 1978, Brazil was loaned to Detroit Express to play in what was then called the North American Soccer League.
After five years at Portman Road, Brazil was sold to Tottenham Hotspur, where he spent one year before moving to United in the summer of 1984. Ferguson and Brazil almost had an awkward reunion on the red side of Manchester.
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In November 1986, Ferguson moved to Old Trafford from Aberdeen to replace Ron Atkinson in the United dugout. Brazil would have also been there, were he not sold to Coventry City by Atkinson 11 months previously.
Brazil was a big star for United, but he was always competing for a place in the starting XI with the likes of Frank Stapleton, Mark Hughes and Norman Whiteside.
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