Sir Alex Ferguson reveals daily routine amid dementia fears

The legendary manager has taken an unorthodox approach

The 83-year-old Scotsman won more than 30 trophies with the Red Devils during his mammoth 27-year tenure as manager.

In a new in-depth interview with The Times, the iconic gaffer made clear that these days he spends his time thinking about much more important issues than the beautiful game.

Ferguson's younger brother Martin is currently living with the condition dementia, and the illness is something that Ferguson says is never far from his mind.

The 2008 Champions League winner told The Times: "I have to be in touch with him [Martin] a lot. He recognises me but the memory’s not great.

“I’m only a year ahead of him and I’ve only one brother so he is important to me.”

Ferguson says that his brother's situation has made him more aware of some of the activities that can be done to help maintain memory as one ages.

He said: “I forget things but I probably did that 20 or 30 years ago. When I was a manager, going through previous games, which was really important in terms of preparation for matches, my memory has always been important. Now, I do a lot of crosswords, I read a lot — and sing a lot.”

For Sir Alex, one of the most important things is to ensure he can sing as often as possible, or as he puts it “in the shower, wherever”.

The Man United legend added this piece of advice: “Occupy yourself. Dealing with the dementia group has been good for me. It’s something that I enjoy — we say, ‘Right, let’s have a sing-song’.

“I’ve got myself involved a little bit more. Music has an important role for dementia sufferers and we must continue that.

“You don’t need to be a great singer to join in, just to know the words. It’s wonderful.”