"If you are manager of United for 27 years, you have to deal with issues. It was always in my mantra to keep control of the club, and that's not easy when you are dealing with star players, great players. It's also important for people to understand how difficult that is.''
In 2010, Rooney questioned United's ambitions and asked why they had not pursued Werder Bremen's Mesut Ozil. "Ozil was not on our radar,'' Ferguson explained. "We signed Chicharito that summer. My thoughts were Rooney and Chicharito.''
Ferguson fell out with Rooney again last summer. "Wayne Rooney 'asked away' and said he was being played out of position. Wayne was not playing well enough. In the form he's in now, do you think I would drop him now? No chance.'' Ferguson made a general point about his Rooney's fitness. "Wayne needs to be worked very strongly. He's stocky. It was ridiculous that England took him to the World Cup after his metatarsal. He was not ready for competition in 2006. And it proved.''
Ferguson added that he had to get rid of Keane after the Irishman lambasted players during a controversial interview with MUTV. "For some reason he decided to criticise his team-mates,'' Ferguson recalled of the interview and the subsequent team meeting in which Keane continued his criticism. "The meeting was horrendous. I just couldn't lose my control in this situation. If I had let it pass the players would have viewed me much differently to the way I want to judged. Roy overstepped his mark, absolutely. We did well for him. - we paid up his contract and gave him a testimonial. We did everything we could to honour the fact that he was a great player for us.
Ferguson addressed the issue of goalkeeping at the club, and particularly the difficult succession after Peter Schmeichel. "Mark Bosnich got off to a real bad start: he was three hours late for first day's training and he was overweight. We had a real bad period trying to replace Peter Schmeichel.
"Schmeichel was a warrior, lambasted every defender in front of him. Edwin van der Sar was so calm, and that was fantastic for our defenders. In the dressing-room he was very forthright. His use of the ball, he was like an outfield player. Fantastic person too. Strong. 130 caps for Holland. He was a great buy for us. I just wished I had got him when Schmeichel decided to leave.''
Of his failure to make only a passing reference to the Rock of Gibraltar controversy in the book, Ferguson said: "I had an agreement with John Magnier, that nothing more would be said after the settlement.''
Ferguson also that he took only "10 seconds" to turn down the offer of the England job when approached by Adam Crozier, the then FA chief executive. "Crozier made me the offer to manage the team. It didn't take me long to decide. 10 seconds. There was no way in a million years I could manage England. Imagine me going back to Scotland after that, dearie me. Of England, it was a great opportunity to relegate them.''
He was approached by an agent over Chelsea when Roman Abramovich took over at Stamford Bridge. "When he first came there was a link with an agent, but I turned it down immediately.'' Ferguson ruled out any future manager jobs. "Once I was finished with United that was me finished with management. I saw recently I was 80-1 for one job. That was a good price.''
Ferguson also predicted that United would recover from their poor start under his successor David Moyes. "When I joined United (in 1986) I got great encouragement from Matt Busby, got great support,'' said Ferguson. "When I saw that fixture list (for United this season at the start) I would have been raging at the Football (meant Premier) League. United are the only club that can win the league coming from behind, believe me. David Moyes is in a great position, he will get the same help I got from Matt. He will be fine.''
- Alex Ferguson: My autobiography (Hodder & Stoughton, rrp £25) is available from Telegraph Books (0844 871 1514) for £23 (plus £1.35 p&p)
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