Home / Sports / Man Utd Doctor Breaks Silence on Ferguson Sacking
Man Utd Doctor Breaks Silence on Ferguson Sacking
3 Apr
Summary
- Doctor Mike Stone reveals his dismissal by Sir Alex Ferguson.
- Rooney's 2006 World Cup metatarsal injury was not the cause.
- Disagreement over working at the English Institute of Sport led to firing.
Dr. Mike Stone, Manchester United's first full-time club doctor, has detailed his abrupt dismissal by Sir Alex Ferguson. The incident occurred near the end of the 2005-06 season, with Ferguson ordering Stone to clear his desk immediately and leave the club premises. This followed a disagreement over Dr. Stone's continued work at the English Institute of Sport.
While press speculation at the time linked Stone's sacking to Wayne Rooney's fractured metatarsal injury before the 2006 World Cup, Dr. Stone refutes this. He clarifies that Rooney's injury, though significant, was not the cause of his dismissal. The core issue appears to have been Stone's persistence in his role at the English Institute of Sport, despite Ferguson's initial instruction to cease the external work.
Stone's autobiography, 'Set in Stone,' also touches upon other significant events during his tenure, including the severe injury sustained by Alan Smith and the circumstances surrounding Rio Ferdinand's missed drugs test. He offers advice to doctors in elite sports regarding employment security.
