A new Alex Ferguson documentary, and the Indian doctor who saved him

Manchester United fans (representational image). Sir Alexander Ferguson was the manager of Manchester United from 1986 to 2013 - the football club won 13 Premier League championships under his management.

Kuriakose Joshi George did for Sir Alex Ferguson in hospital what Teddy Sheringham did for him in the epic 1999 Champions League final.

With Manchester United trailing Bayern Munich and only seconds to go, Sheringham squeezed in an injury time equalizer. Moments later, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, United’s current manager, stuck one in as the Red Devils snatched a thrilling win.

In 2018, the clock was ticking on Ferguson’s life after he suffered brain haemorrhage. This time, Dr Joshi George and staff from Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester came to his rescue.

Ferguson’s son Jason has made a documentary on his father, Never Give In, which released on Amazon Prime Video in some markets on May 27. Among other things, the film covers Ferguson’s near-death experience.

After his recovery, Ferguson was fulsome in his praise for Joshi George, other doctors at the Salford Royal and the NHS (National Health Service). In 2019, just a year after his surgery, Ferguson raised more than £400,000 for the institution. Joshi George was a special guest at the glittering fundraiser.

According to the BBC, Joshi George says in the documentary that when Ferguson was brought to hospital, there was an “80 per cent chance” he would not survive. When the fiery Scot did rise again, Joshi George said, "I am delighted to see the remarkable recovery that Sir Alex had made in such a short time.”

At the fundraiser, Joshi George thanked the entire team. He also expressed gratitude to Ferguson for his donation.

"When someone needs life-saving treatment in a hurry, there is no other alternative than the NHS and each member of the team from the paramedic, to the cleaner, to the porter, to the physiotherapists and nurses and doctors all had a crucial part to play in delivering a successful outcome,” he said. "We are extremely grateful for this fantastic donation, which we can assure Sir Alex will be put to very good use for those patients who may find themselves in the same situation he was last year."

So who exactly is Dr Joshi George? According to the website of a global medical conference, “Mr Joshi George did his medical schooling in India. He subsequently went to Belfast to do his surgical training and had first-hand experience of dealing with the ‘Troubles’ and the aftermath of terrorist attacks. He subsequently did research on spinal cord injury at the University of London. While working at the Royal London hospital in Neurosurgery, he dealt with the aftermath of the July 7 bombings in London in 2005. He did his fellowship training in spine surgery in Toronto. He currently works at Salford Royal Foundation Trust in Manchester as a consultant neurosurgeon.”

Some day, the doc, the patient, Sheringham and Solksjaer should have a pint together.