Sir Alex’s Christmas Day tradition at Man Utd shows he never forgot his roots

Sir Alex Ferguson had a festive tradition at Manchester United where he used to serve the players dinner on Christmas Day.

According to Dimitar Berbatov, the legendary Scot did it every single year as he was keen to bring the squad together and get them into the Christmas spirit.

The Bulgarian striker – who played under Ferguson for four years – said the tradition made the group feel like "a brotherhood".

“When I was at Manchester United, this time of year was always special. We would train then afterwards go to the canteen for Christmas dinner and Sir Alex and the staff would serve us the food," Berbatov revealed.

"It was a nice tradition … and a good thing to have. We would crack jokes and have some banter, the manager served us food for the holidays, it was all good fun.

"When we went home, we would also have Christmas dinner, but you had to pay attention and watch what you eat because you had a game. You didn't want Sir Alex in your face if you lost a match or gained some kilos."

Berbatov added that it was nice touch considering how hard Premier League footballers have to work over the Christmas period, and how little they get to see of their families as a result.

"This is how it is in England, there are many games, it means more football than lunch or dinner with your family, that's for sure.

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"It's great for the fans to watch more football, but for the players it can be a tough time, especially with all the games.

"It's easy to get tired when you play so many games around Christmas time, especially if you have no depth in your squad you can easily get fatigued which can lead to injuries and then your mood isn't the greatest, trust me."

Berbatov won two Premier League titles during his four-year stint at Old Trafford, scoring 56 goals in 149 matches before leaving for Fulham in 2012.

Ferguson left United the following year, bowing out with his 13th Premier League title – bringing his incredible 26-year run with the club to an end.

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