'I left Man Utd in a huff after what manager did – I massively regret it'

Steve Bruce was a serial victor during his clip astatine Manchester United, but his glittering Old Trafford vocation ended successful arguable circumstances successful 1996

Imagine being a cardinal subordinate successful the travel to a home cupful final, lone to beryllium near retired of the squad for the last astatine Wembley.

That's precisely what happened to Steve Bruce erstwhile Manchester United faced disconnected against Liverpool successful the 1996 FA Cup final. Just a week aft clinching the Premier League rubric with a 3-0 triumph implicit Middlesbrough connected the past time of the season, United headed to Wembley with their sights acceptable connected a legendary treble win.

Despite not having won either of their league matches against Liverpool that play - a 2-2 gully astatine Old Trafford and a 2-0 decision astatine Anfield - the last was anyone's game.

However, United managed to borderline past their Merseyside rivals erstwhile it mattered most, acknowledgment to an 86th-minute extremity from Eric Cantona. His 5th extremity of United's FA Cup tally proved to beryllium the astir crucial.

Yet, skipper Bruce wasn't connected the tract to observe the club's ninth FA Cup triumph with his team-mates, having been omitted from the matchday squad. Sir Alex Ferguson broke the quality to Bruce connected the Wembley transportation itself, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Cantona, who wore the captain's armband successful Bruce's absence, tried to transportation Bruce to articulation successful lifting the trophy, but Bruce declined the offer. After astir a decennary with United, amassing adjacent to 400 games, Bruce was conspicuously absent from the Wembley squad, which signalled the extremity of his silverware-stuffed stint astatine Old Trafford. Under his leadership, Blackpool's existent brag had netted 11 apical honours.

The determination by Ferguson to snub Bruce for that last lucifer evidently didn't beryllium good with the erstwhile skipper who'd led the squad conscionable a week anterior successful their triumph against Middlesbrough.

Post-final, and astir pronto, Bruce bid farewell to Old Trafford, mounting disconnected for Birmingham City. Though near retired of the last arsenic a hint from Ferguson helium wasn't portion of United's plans anymore, the now-63-year-old voiced his remorse implicit his departure earlier this year.

"The 1 regret successful each my clip was leaving Man United, I near successful a spot of a huff due to the fact that I didn't get picked for the cupful final," Bruce reminisced earlier this year. "Looking backmost connected it now, I hated it astatine the clip but I afloat recognize it. I was 36, I wasn't injured and didn't get backmost successful the squad for the cupful erstwhile I thought I should have. I near wrong 2 oregon 3 days, but tin afloat recognize it from afar now.

"I didn't privation to beryllium connected the seat oregon beryllium a squad subordinate immoderate more. I made that beauteous wide to the manager himself. I near wrong 2 oregon 3 days and I near nether a spot of a cloud.

"My declaration had finished, but that took maine implicit the borderline that I didn't play successful the 1996 cupful final. Man United won 1-0 and Eric Cantona scored successful the past minute, cipher gives a worldly if I played successful it. Man United won.

"The manager made the close telephone and had done the aforesaid happening with Bryan Robson a fewer years earlier that. It was his mode of telling you softly that your clip was up." Having participated successful 5 FA Cup matches that season, Bruce was inactive eligible for a medal, yet helium doesn't clasp it successful precocious regard.

He added: "I couldn't adjacent archer you whether I got a medal. Apparently I did, but I don't respect it arsenic the same, due to the fact that I didn't instrumentality portion successful the final.

"I accidental if you play successful the earlier rounds, you merit it, but everyone wants to beryllium progressive successful the final. That's conscionable quality nature." Despite the bitter extremity to his tenure astatine United, Bruce has reconciled with Ferguson implicit time.

He shared: "With Sir Alex, I inactive person conversations with him," and "I haven't seen him for a while, he's been each implicit the place. I tin ever prime up the telephone to him. He was instrumental successful maine taking a occupation to commencement with and was ever idiosyncratic you could prime up the telephone to."

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