'I became a Man Utd icon – but Sir Alex Ferguson met me at school to give me hairdryer'

Nicky Butt has opened up on a time when Sir Alex Ferguson gave him the hairdryer treatment after he was caught misbehaving at school, with the Man Utd legend even threatening to axe him

Nicky Butt has shared a story about how Sir Alex Ferguson once gave him the infamous hairdryer treatment at school.

The legendary Manchester United manager was famous for his fiery outbursts, known as 'the hairdryer' for their power. Now, former United star Butt has revealed that he was on the receiving end of one of these tirades when he was just a teenager after Sir Alex discovered his poor performance in school.

Butt opened up about the incident while chatting with ex-United midfielder Paul Scholes on the Football's Greatest Eras podcast. The anecdote reared its head when Scholes mentioned that players had to "conform" to what Ferguson wanted and shape their lifestyles accordingly, with both players being teenagers when they were part of United's squad.

Butt then reminisced with his former team-mate about the time Ferguson cracked down on his misbehaviour in school. The Class of '92 icon also claimed the United boss even threatened to sack him from the club if he didn't improve his academic performance, reports the Manchester Evening News.

"I remember in school, I was a bit of a jack the lad at school. I was walking in late. I remember seeing an S class (Mercedes) parked outside the entrance. So there's the staff entrance and the school entrance, and if you're late, you have to go in the staff entrance and sign into the late car. So I was walking in late, I saw this lovely brand new S class," Butt said.

"I would have been 14, 15, maybe. Walked in, there was a reception and they said, 'Oh, head Mr. Embassy wants you'. So I had to go to his office. So I walk in thinking, 'I'm only late, I've got to sign in late and I'll be fine'. Sir Alex was sat in the office with the teacher and he came at me like you wouldn't believe.

"'If you don't listen to this man, I'll make sure you do what's right by him. Do what's right, you won't play for this football club, you won't get in.' I was like that (stunned)."

Butt admitted that, although Ferguson's tough approach initially rattled him, it ultimately proved effective. He also highlighted the legendary manager's softer side, noting Ferguson's readiness to offer support during personal struggles.

"But he was right, because what it was, any sign of you getting carried away, he was on you like a ton of bricks," he said.

"But equally, anytime he's seeing you down or having some personal issues, he was there to speak to you. He was always there if there was any issues at home or anything, he'd always come and see me and he was always caring that way as well."

Scholes has revealed how Sir Alex even intervened in his personal life to ensure he didn't fall into the trap of Manchester's nightlife. The former United midfielder admitted that Ferguson's pressure to stop him from socialising late into the night was a turning point in his career, even if it meant giving up long-term friendships.

"I had to get out of it because I was going out in Middleton all the time and he got wind of that," Scholes said.

"Eric Harrison (youth team coach) got wind of that and he gave several phone calls to him and my dad, he said 'look he's got to, not calm down, but he's got to stop living like that, and from 18 I moved away, never saw mates again. It was something you had to do if you wanted to take your professional life seriously."

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