Rory McIlroy has confirmed that legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is "doing much better" but is still in hospital.

Ferguson, 76, suffered a brain haemorrhage earlier this month and was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

Manchester United confirmed that the operation went well, but noted the Scot needed a period of intensive care to optimise his recovery, and asked for privacy.

McIlroy, who is a huge Manchester United fan, played the pro-am at the BMW PGA with Red Devils legends Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Teddy Sheringham, repors the Mirror.

He said: "[Ferguson] is doing better, he is doing much better.

"They are keeping him in hospital and doing some tests. They were quite upbeat about it. Scholes was saying he was probably telling the doctors what to do."

The good news comes as Scotland boss Alex McLeish also recently revealed that Ferguson was cracking jokes from his hospital bed, reported the Daily Record.

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"We are very close from our time working together and I've been kept up to speed by his boys.

"On the anniversary of Gothenburg I texted Mark, his oldest son, and said, 'Tell the gaffer Happy Gothenburg day.'

"He texted back, 'You'll never believe it, I'm in the hospital with him right now. He's asking about your passback'. And I replied, 'Typical! What about my assist for Eric Black's opener?'"