Former Manchester United right-back Rafael da Silva admits nobody was expecting Sir Alex Ferguson to retire back in 2013.
Rafael represented the club between 2008 and 2015 and formed part of the league title winning squad in 2012-13.
Ferguson retired at the end of that season and United haven’t won the league since. Rafael says the move came as a shock to the club.
"When [Sir Alex] left it was a shock to everyone," Rafael said. "For him it was good because he left having passed Liverpool for the most titles but for me I would have loved for him to stay for three or four more years.
"It was definitely a shock, not just for me but for all of the players. Many things happened [after that]. He stayed for a long, long time with the same structure and the same people. Then a new manager comes and what is he going to do?
"How many people does he bring with him? What's he going to change after 27 years of victory? It's hard when a guy comes and it's like that." Rafael says he enjoyed an excellent relationship with the legendary boss.
"Sir Alex is very honest," Rafael added. "Everyone knows about his winning mentality but he's a person who helps everyone. But not just help like doing kind stuff all the time, also telling them the way to do things."
