What Sir Alex Ferguson once said about Daniel Levy as Tottenham exit announced
Sir Alex Ferguson and Daniel Levy are two figures who dominated the landscape of English football over the last 25 years.
The legendary Scottish manager left Manchester United in 2013, but Levy has remained in his post as executive chairman at Tottenham until now.
Levy stepped down from his position at Tottenham on Thursday, after being the scapegoat for supporters for a number of years as the club underperformed.
He often got on the wrong side of managers in his time in North London, including Ferguson at Old Trafford and Jose Mourinho in his time at Tottenham.
What Alex Ferguson said about Daniel Levy after Tottenham deal
Levy and Ferguson’s most high-profile deal was when United signed Dimitar Berbatov from Spurs in 2008.
The £30.75 million deal was one of the biggest in English football at the time, and Ferguson opened up on proceedings in his book, Leading, which was published in 2016.
Reflecting on Levy’s negotiating tactics, Ferguson said: “That whole experience was more painful than my hip replacement.”
Alex Ferguson’s comments prove that Daniel Levy always wanted the best for Tottenham
Whatever can be said about Levy, and his frugal nature while running Spurs, he always had the club’s best interests at heart.
That was evident from the negotiations for Berbatov’s sale, when he was determined to get the best fee possible out of Ferguson’s side.
He may be controversial amongst the fanbase, but his commitment to the N17 outfit is something that cannot be questioned.
| Player | Fee |
| Gareth Bale | £87.6m |
| Harry Kane | £82.4m |
| Kyle Walker | £45m |
| Dimitar Berbatov | £30.75m |
His style of leadership and a lack of spending at times have warped the perception of the 63-year-old, who always wanted his club to succeed.
The club now heads into a new era, where the likes of Vinai Venkatesham, Thomas Frank and Peter Charrington will run it, taking on the immense pressure that Levy shouldered for 25 years.
Whether they can handle it and take the club further remains to be seen, but supporters should take Ferguson’s words into account.
They prove that the best deal for his club was always the desired outcome for Levy, and they may end up missing his impact when he is gone, and the others have replaced him.
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