Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterFour Four TwoGet FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.You are now subscribedYour newsletter sign-up was successfulWant to add more newsletters?Five times a weekFourFourTwo DailyFantastic football content straight to your inbox! From the latest transfer news, quizzes, videos, features and interviews with the biggest names in the game, plus lots more.Signup +Once a week...And its LIVE!Sign up to our FREE live football newsletter, tracking all of the biggest games available to watch on the device of your choice. Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterWhen Diego Forlan signed for Manchester United in January 2002, he joined one of footballs most demanding dressing rooms.The Red Devils squad was packed with experienced pros, serial winners and above all, a manager that no one in the game would ever dare cross.Sir Alex Fergusons reputation preceded him in the 2000s, but for Forlan, his earliest encounters with the Scot revealed a different side to the Manchester United legend. You may like It took me weeks to realise it was serious Diego Forlan on earning his big Manchester United move in 2002 Diego Forlan reveals what it was like sharing a dressing room with Manchester United mega-star David Beckham He'd often give me little warnings when I wasn't playing well Nani on playing under Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson Diego Forlan on his first conversation with Sir Alex FergusonThe first time we spoke was on the phone, Forlan tells FourFourTwo as he recalls his introduction to Ferguson before he made the move to England.Id studied at a bilingual school, so despite Sir Alexs strong accent and my nerves, we managed to understand each other, he adds, highlighting a somewhat unusual first exchange.Get VIP Manchester United tickets HERE with Seat Unique!Manchester United's hospitality offers comfortable, padded seating in the North West Quadrant. The package includes a concourse meal deal (hot food, drink, and snack) and the official matchday programme. Guests also receive a 10 per cent Megastore discount and non-matchday Museum entry, providing a great value, family-friendly match experience for home fans.View DealForlan famously looked to be joining Middlesbrough when he travelled to England to seek out a move away from Independiente, only for Manchester United to gazump the Teesside club and greet him off the plane.When I landed in England, he was waiting for me at Old Trafford and showed me around every corner of the stadium, Forlan continues.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Ferguson quickly made an impression on the Uruguayan, who was clearly impressed with the Scots man management.From that first meeting, I saw how approachable he was, he says, before detailing another story which showed just how much homework Ferguson had done on his new signing.I can remember during a pre-season in the US, I was playing a tennis tie-break against Ruud van Nistelrooy at the hotel.Sir Alex knew Id played tennis since I was a kid, so he backed me and started joking to distract Ruud.I ended up winning.TOPICSManchester UnitedPremier LeagueJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromDani Gil
