Beckham: Sir Alex still has a hold over former Man Utd players

David Beckham says Sir Alex Ferguson still strikes fear through his former Manchester United players long after his retirement from football.

The two will be reunited in November at the Unicef Match for Children when Beckham captains the Ferguson-led Great Britain and Ireland XI against a Rest of the World selection at Old Trafford.

And Beckham admits that the 73-year-old still carries an air of authority over him more than 12 years after the former England captain left United for Real Madrid.

“The manager still has that hold over all of us that he always had,” Beckham told a press conference. “I saw him a few weeks ago, and we used to have this thing about not drinking in front of the manager but I was holding a glass of wine and when he came over I found myself hiding the glass behind my back!

“But I think that’s what made him successful. As a youngster you need people to look up to and to inspire you. I left London at a very young age and I needed a father figure. It’s what his reputation is all about, creating that fear but also that respect.”

Beckham left United in 2003 following an infamous altercation which saw Ferguson kick a stray boot at his star No.7 in the dressing room after the club's FA Cup exit at the hands of Arsenal.

And the ex-Madrid, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and LA Galaxy star joked that he may have to think about where he sits in the dressing room when the two team up once more on November 14.

“That’s something I was asked the other day actually, I might have to think about where I sit!” he added. “Maybe it's one of the things we can recreate for the game! We’ll see.”

While the two had a very public falling-out, with Ferguson expressing his uneasiness at Beckham’s apparent quest for fame in his autobiography, the 40-year-old says he’s sure his former boss understands his approach to business ventures away from football.

“I think the manager has always understood what I do away from the game," he said. "What he’s interested in is what you do on the field, for the club. That's the way a manager should be.

“My relationship with the manager has always been great. We had a couple of ups and downs, but that's the same for everyone. I’ve always had huge respect for the manager, and always will have respect for Sir Alex.”

The 115-cap former England skipper confirmed that over 60,000 tickets have so far been sold for the charity match, which will see Ferguson and Beckham pit their wits against Carlo Ancelotti’s World XI, for whom Zinedine Zidane will be captain.