Sir Alex Ferguson once made a player sell their Bentley after driving it into training… I had a Mercedes at home but drove a Mini
Legendary Manchester United manager did not suffer fools gladly and wanted a workmanlike attitude to success
ONCE, a young player, who had just turned professional, drove a Bentley into training, reveals former Man Utd star David Bellion.
"Sir Alex made him sell it immediately," says Bellion.
The Frenchaman, who now works in an art gallery, said: "I drove to Carrington in an Austin Mini for nearly a year even though I had a Mercedes at home.
"Sir Alex didn’t like young players getting above themselves.
"He hated anyone showing their wealth before they had done anything in life or the game."
Meanwhile, Bellion's old Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney returns to Old Trafford today for the first time since moving back to Everton as an all-time United and England great - the day after Romelu Lukaku turned up to training in a £240,000 Rolls-Royce.
But the man who let an 18-year-old Rooney take THAT famous free-kick to complete a hat-trick on his United debut has retired and is working part-time for a Parisian art gallery.
Bellion – once labelled “the next Thierry Henry” – was the player on free-kick duty that September night at Old Trafford in 2004 for the Champions League tie against Fenerbahce.
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But Rooney, brimming with confidence after a £25.6million move from Everton and having already scored twice, asked if he could take the 54th-minute set-piece.
Rooney smashed the ball past Turkish keeper Rustu from 20 yards as United won 6-2.
Bellion, 34, said: “I was given a rare start by Sir Alex Ferguson, who asked me to take the free-kicks.
“Wayne came to me and asked, ‘Do you mind if I take it?’ I said, ‘Please, go ahead.’ How could I argue with a guy on fire that was up for a hat-trick on his debut?
“There began the beautiful story of Rooney and United – so he owes me commission!
“But what made that debut so remarkable was ‘Wazza’ had not had a proper pre-season. It was his first game back since injuring his metatarsal at Euro 2004.”
