'Do you think this is a holiday camp or something?!' - Sir Alex Ferguson's incredible rant over a glass of BEER revealed by Man Utd legend - and he even got shouted at for winning a penalty!

Having been signed by Ferguson in 1990, Irwin quickly established himself as the first-choice right-back. However, following the arrival of Paul Parker in 1991, Irwin transitioned to left-back, a position he would dominate for over a decade, becoming one of the most reliable and versatile players of his generation. Now, he has revealed fascinating anecdotes from his time under Ferguson shedding light on the legendary manager’s fiery side.

One of Irwin’s most memorable encounters with Ferguson’s strict demeanour came during a seemingly harmless request for a beer. Reflecting on the incident in an episode of Stick to Football, Irwin said: "It was the last day of training – we were training in the morning. We finished training, got changed and had a bit of lunch. We were on a table of about six and he [Ferguson] put a bottle of wine on everybody’s table. I don’t drink wine so I said: ‘Can I have a glass of beer?’

"He went: ‘What the hell are you on about? Do you think this is a holiday camp or something?’ So, if I do see him now, I make sure I get a bottle of beer off him! I was 33 or 34 and he’s telling me off for a glass of beer. That was actually only one of the few times the manager had a rant at me."

Another memorable incident occurred during a match against Wimbledon, where Irwin earned a penalty but still found himself on the receiving end of Ferguson’s wrath.

"I remember the first proper time he had a go at me," he added. "We used to play down at Wimbledon, and he never played me. It was Viv [Anderson] right-back, ‘Brucey’ [Steve Bruce], ‘Pally’ [Gary Pallister], and ‘Mal’ [Mal Donaghy] – four centre-halves, for the height. He brought me on with about 10 minutes to go – on the left wing. He kept the same back four – ‘Robbo’ [Bryan Robson] played the ball to me, and I’ve gone through. Hans Segers was in goal – I’ve gone around him and got a penalty. I thought, ‘Brilliant!’.

"We won 1-0, Brucey missed the penalty, we’ve come back in, and he shouted at me: ‘What were you doing there?’ I said: ‘Well, we got a penalty’, and he said: ‘Well, you should have passed to Sparky [Mark Hughes]!' That’s the way he was – just little things like that."

Stories like these highlight Ferguson’s relentless pursuit of excellence and his ability to inspire players to exceed expectations. His attention to detail, combined with his fiery passion, played a pivotal role in creating a culture of accountability at Old Trafford, driving United to unparalleled heights during his tenure.

While Ferguson enjoys his retirement, United continue to strive for a return to their former dominance in both English and European football. As the Red Devils prepare to face Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, they will be looking to return to winning ways after a 3-1 defeat to Brighton last weekend.