Andrei Kanchelskis Recalls How He Was Tricked Into Calling Sir Alex ‘Scottish Bastard’

Former Manchester United winger Andrei Kanchelskis has recalled how he was tricked into calling Sir Alex Ferguson a ‘Scottish bastard’ to his face, when he first arrived at Old Trafford.

The now-retired Russia international was once a big player for United, and went on to win two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a European Super Cup during his stint with the Red Devils.

His confident runs down the right-wing often had opponents quaking in their boots, but Kanchelskis wasn’t always the cocksure character British football fans came to know.

When he first arrived on these shores, he couldn’t speak a word of English – a fact that his new team-mates quickly exploited.

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Speaking via the Daily Record, Kanchelskis explained: “It’s normal when any player comes to every country and they teach them only rubbish, you know?

“Every country, even Russia as well. I came to England and I had never spoken English very well.

“Some guys said to me ‘if the gaffer comes to the dressing room, say to him ‘Scottish b*****d’, you know like ‘hello Scottish b*****d’.

“I said it and everybody was laughing. Fergie as well. He smiled because he understood I didn’t speak English very well.

“He said next time, ‘not like this, don’t speak like this’.”

Personally, we thought Fergie might’ve hit the roof, so good on him for seeing the funny side.

Kanchelskis moved on to Everton and Fiorentina after United, before turning up in Glasgow for four years under Dick Advocaat, where he padded out his list of honours even further.