Lee Sharpe on the fall-out with Sir Alex Ferguson that resulted in him leaving Manchester United

While his talent was never in doubt, Lee Sharpe did not get on with Sir Alex Ferguson, and ultimately, it led to his Manchester United demise.

With blistering pace and a sublime footballing IQ, the left winger looked destined to complete a fairytale run at Old Trafford. In a sparkling eight-year stint at the club, he bagged 36 goals, en route to helping the team secure three Premier League titles and two FA Cups for good measure.

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However, as time rolled on, his once positive relationship with the boss began to sour. And with his happiness fading, Sharpe decided that ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ had become an amphitheatre of nightmares.

In an interview with AGamble.com, he revealed the events that transpired before his exit.

Lee Sharpe and Sir Alex Ferguson did not get along

The ex-player confessed: “I didn’t want to leave the club, the team and my teammates. However, I just wasn’t getting on with Fergie. I went in and mentioned that I would be interested in a transfer. Well, I got my solicitor, rather than me personally, to ring the club and say that I was looking for a move. I think Brian Kidd told the manager that I shouldn’t be allowed to leave as he wanted to keep me.

“The manager was sort of umming and ahhing but then put a price tag on my head and said, ‘Yeah, you can go.”

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He continued: “My solicitor rang me, and I had had a chat with Fergie, he said ‘I’m gonna put a price on your head. You think you should be playing every week, so, I’ll put a price on your head that I think is fair’. I didn’t know the price, as he was just letting other managers know. But when I found out the price, I just thought it was a bit high. I’d not played regularly for a number of years. Therefore, it limited the number of clubs that I could go to, which was a bit of a shame. But it’s all part and parcel of the football world.

“I asked for a transfer, and he let me go, that’s pretty much as simple as it was. I didn’t want to leave the club or the players. But I just wasn’t getting on with Fergie.”

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