There's no question that Sir Alex Ferguson is a legend of English football, having won 13 Premier League titles.
But the legendary Manchester United boss is a proud Scotsman and Rio Ferdinand has revealed how he undermined the Auld Enemy with his mind games.
During the 2000s England had a so-called 'Golden Generation' of players but failed to make it past the quarter-finals of a major international tournament.
And it seems Fergie may have had a hand in that under-achievement as he got in the heads of his United stars.
Speaking live on his Instagram page Ferdinand explained: "I think Fergie might have played a little part in it as well, because he was so clever.
"You’d be going away, you’d finish a game on Saturday, you’d win a game on Saturday, and he’d go, 'Right, I’ll see you after the international break boys'. And he’ll go like, 'You, you and you, if you play more than 45 minutes I’m going to kill you when you get back'.
"So it would be in the back of your mind, you’d be thinking, 'Oh my god, I’m under pressure when I come back'.
"I'd have played 90 minutes and you’re walking into training and he’s sitting looking at you like that (furious), 'What did I tell you?' It was mad."
