Alex Ferguson

Alex Ferguson is a Scottish former soccer player and manager whose books cover his career, particular seasons, and leadership. Born in Govan, Glasgow, he played for clubs including Dunfermline Athletic, Rangers, and Falkirk before moving into management. His early managerial appointments included East Stirlingshire and St Mirren. He joined Aberdeen in 1978 and Manchester United in November 1986.

Ferguson managed Manchester United until 2013, building successive championship teams during more than twenty-six years at the club. His publishing record includes diaries written during that tenure, the autobiographies Managing My Life and My Autobiography, and collaborations with Michael Moritz. His 2026 memoir, Games of My Life, returns to twenty-one matches connected with different stages of his life, including experiences as a schoolboy, player, manager, and spectator.

Soccer Books

A Light in the North: Seven Years with Aberdeen: Ferguson recounts his first seven years managing Aberdeen, explaining how the club challenged Scotland’s established powers and achieved European success. The account covers the development of a team that won domestic championships and cups as well as the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Written before his move to Manchester United, it records his Scottish managerial career in progress. Published in 1985.

A Year in the Life: The Manager's Diary: This diary follows Ferguson through Manchester United’s 1994–95 season, recording daily responsibilities, decisions, and reactions as the team competes at home and in Europe. Edited by Peter Ball, it presents the manager’s perspective on pressures affecting players and staff. Events on and away from the field supply the framework for an account of managing throughout a demanding campaign. Published in 1995.

Manchester United: Official Review of the 94/95 Season: 1994-1995: This official review documents Manchester United’s 1994–95 campaign through photographs, match information, and interviews. Credited to Rachel Jervis and Ferguson, it includes action from the season’s games alongside material from behind the scenes. Contributions involving players such as Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Ince supplement the record of the team’s performances across its competitions. Published in 1995.

Ten Glorious Years: This retrospective covers Ferguson’s first decade at Manchester United, from his arrival in 1986 through 1996. Its subject is the period during which his work at the club developed into sustained domestic success. The anniversary format places the managerial tenure within a defined ten-year span, complementing his individual season diaries and subsequent longer autobiographical accounts. Published in 1996.

A Will To Win: The Manager's Diary: Ferguson records the demands of managing Manchester United in this diary written with David Meek. The account follows the club’s competitive ambitions at home and in Europe while considering decisions, setbacks, and pressures from the manager’s position. Its contemporary viewpoint captures judgments made during a campaign rather than reconstructing the entire career after retirement. Published in 1997.

Managing My Life: My Autobiography: Ferguson traces his life from childhood in Govan through professional playing and his move into management. The autobiography follows the early clubs that shaped his career and the development of Manchester United into a championship team. Its account reaches the 1999 season, when United won three major competitions and Ferguson received a knighthood. First published in 1999.

The Unique Treble: Ferguson reviews Manchester United’s 1998–99 season, when the club won the Premier League, FA Cup, and European Cup. Match reports explain the progression toward those achievements. Photographs and drawings of important goals supplement the manager’s account, recording how successive contests and a closely fought conclusion combined to produce the club’s treble. Published in 2000.

Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography: Ferguson reflects on his career after retiring as Manchester United manager, discussing players, professional relationships, and the decisions behind his teams. The autobiography revisits achievements and disputes while explaining his approach to maintaining standards across changing generations. His experiences with prominent players form part of a broader account of managing at a club under sustained public scrutiny. Published in 2013.

Leading: learning from life and my years at Manchester United: Ferguson and Michael Moritz examine leadership through decisions made during his managerial career. Recruitment, delegation, teamwork, transitions, and responses to failure organize the discussion. Rather than following a season chronologically, the book uses sporting experiences to consider how leaders establish expectations and adapt organizations over time, with applications extending to business and other working environments. Published in 2015.

Games of My Life: Ferguson selects twenty-one matches that carry particular meaning in his life, from a schoolboy medal in 1955 to watching Manchester United’s 2024 FA Cup victory. Written with Michael Moritz, the memoir connects games with family, friendships, adversity, and professional development. Photographs and memorabilia from his archives accompany recollections spanning playing, management, and retirement. Published in 2026.