SIR ALEX FERGUSON has revealed his late wife Cathy saved his life after collapsing at home.

The legendary Manchester United manager was close to death after suffering bleeding on the brain eight years ago.

Ferguson, 84, has explained in his new book Games of My Life that he woke up in Salford Royal Hospital a day after collapsing in May 2018.

He noted that everything “started fading to black” after suffering with a headache overnight.

The ex-United boss then collapsed over a shoe rack, alerting his wife Cathy to Ferguson’s medical emergency.

Ferguson wrote: “I survived because my wife, Cathy, was downstairs when she heard all the shoes come clattering out of the shoe rack on to the wooden floor above.

“If she hadn’t been there, the Referee in the Sky might have blown the final whistle for me.”

He has praised his now-late wife after Cathy’s reaction helped his subdural hematoma to finally be spotted, keeping Ferguson alive.

Ferguson added: “When you have a serious medical emergency, it’s astonishing how many people are involved in saving your life. Between 75 and 85 per cent of people aged over 60 who have an incident like mine die.

“This could be because nobody else is with you when it happens, or because there’s a traffic jam on the road to the hospital, or a delay in getting a scan, or just because they couldn’t wheel you into the operating theatre quickly enough.”

It left Ferguson unable to speak as he was given just a 20 per cent chance of survival, but he was keen to return to Old Trafford.

This finally came after five months of intense recovery, as United drew 1-1 against Wolves in September 2018.

He has remained a key fixture at United’s Premier League fixtures, watching on as his former club drew 1-1 against Leeds at Elland Road last month.

United will honour the club hero with a special dinner to mark 40 years since he took over as manager back in 1986.

However, Ferguson’s health has continued to be a concern after he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance before United’s 3-2 win against Liverpool last season.

But he has since recovered to make further appearances at Old Trafford as United sit 17th in the Premier League after nine matches this season.