Sir Alex Ferguson opted to travel as he sought to deal with the loss of his wife

By Damian Spellman, PA

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he decided to travel as he attempted to deal with the loss of his wife of almost 58 years.

After Lady Cathy’s death in October 2023, the 13 times Premier League-winning manager found himself “stuck in the house” as he tried to find a way forward.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, 83-year-old Sir Alex said: “After my wife passed, I was stuck in the house a lot.

“I moved house, into the country, next door to my son – but it’s not good enough just to sit watching TV, so I decided to travel. I went to Saudi [Arabia], Hong Kong and Bahrain.”

Ferguson, who retired as United boss in 2013, keeps himself busy with reading and crosswords, and has also become involved with dementia charities.

He is an ambassador for Playlist for Life, which highlights the importance of music for people, like his younger brother Martin, who is living with the condition.

Asked if dementia is something which occupies his mind, he said: “It is, yeah, because I’m his brother. I’m only a year ahead of him and I’ve only one brother so he is important to me.

“It’s at the back of my mind all the time. You think, ‘I wonder if he’s in just now’, or if I should give him a phone [call]. I try to do that each day.”