🏟️Sir Alex Ferguson had specific kit rule that all Man Utd academy players had to follow

It has been revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson has some specific kit rules that Manchester United players had to adhere to.

Ferguson will forever be remembered as United’s best-ever manager and one of the best in the history of the sport.

During his time in charge, United won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League trophies among other accolades.

When appearing on the Diary of a CEO podcast, former United man Jesse Lingard revealed how he was told not to wear gloves when playing against CSKA Moscow in Russia’s freezing cold temperatures.

He said: “He played me at CSKA Moscow away in the Champions League. [It was] freezing cold, minus five or whatever it was. Rooney was like, ‘Don’t wear gloves’. I [didn’t] wear gloves, played well and after that stayed in the team.

“At [Manchester] United we’re brought up [being told] you’ve got to wear black boots, no gloves and no long bottoms in training. It’s just the basic things and you’re brought up with that when you go into the first-team.”

Lingard added: “Of course in the warm-up, you’re gonna wear gloves but for the game, back to basics. Don’t wear gloves in the age.

“It’s just values, it’s morals, it’s the way you’ve been brought up. United put that into us at an early age.”

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Lingard played 232 times for boyhood club United, scoring in FA Cup, EFL Cup and Community Shield finals before leaving for Nottingham Forest in 2023.

The black boots stipulation, meanwhile is treated seriously at United. Midfielder Scott McTominay didn’t like the rule in place but had to earn the right to wear multi-coloured boots coming through the academy.

“I probably couldn’t tell you one player in the club who likes wearing black boots,” he told The Sun in 2019.

But it was the rules and something accustomed to every academy player and if someone tried to come out in red boots it’s like ‘you’re no different to any of us so get your black boots back on until you earn the respect and right to wear coloured boots’.

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“I didn’t like the black boots. But you had to do it. You had to respect the rules.

“There are no big egos, there’s no young kids coming in wearing jewellery and looking a bit flash, that’s not the case at this club.”
Sir Alex Ferguson’s kit rules at Manchester United played a significant role in shaping the discipline and mentality of the players, particularly the younger ones coming through the ranks. According to Jesse Lingard, who shared his experience on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast, players were encouraged to adhere to certain dress codes, such as wearing black boots, avoiding gloves during matches, and not wearing long bottoms in training, even in freezing conditions.

Ferguson believed in instilling basic values and principles, ensuring that the players stayed humble and focused on their game. Lingard recalled how, during a Champions League match against CSKA Moscow in bitter cold, he was told by teammates like Wayne Rooney to forgo gloves, a decision that helped him stay grounded and secure his place in the team.

The black boots rule, as Scott McTominay later revealed, was a tradition in the academy. Players had to earn the right to wear more colorful boots only after proving themselves. This approach was meant to foster respect and equality among the players, reinforcing a sense of humility and hard work. Such standards contributed to creating the strong team ethic that was key to United’s success under Ferguson.

These seemingly minor rules helped forge the mentality that produced many of Manchester United’s successes during Ferguson’s reign.