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Liam O’Gorman from Tallow pictured with Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in New York recently. The announcement of the legendary soccer manager’s retirement last week caused a big stir.

With all the hoopla going on over the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in the past week, one young Tallow man had all the more reason to treasure a very special meeting he had with the footballing great in recent weeks.

Avid Manchester United fan, Liam O'Gorman was in New York in March with his stepdad, Tallow councillor John Pratt and mother Margo, when the meeting with his hero was arranged. They were there over the St. Patrick's weekend as part of a group meeting up with Tallow man, Michael Prendergast who is to be honoured at a special Gathering event on the June bank holiday weekend in Tallow, for his great help and generosity over the years towards people going out to the US to live and work. It was Michael, who shares business interests with Sir Alex, that arranged for young Liam to meet his hero a few days later.

"It was brilliant to have the opportunity to travel to New York in the first place," Liam told The Avondhu this week. His mam and stepdad had bought him the trip as a treat for his 21st birthday in February. "Then to meet Alex Ferguson was absolutely brilliant."

Liam met with the Manchester United manager at his apartment in New York before going for breakfast with him in a nearby bar/restaurant owned by a Dublin man. He spent more than two hours in his company. Liam was surprised and delighted at how warm, friendly and chatty Sir Alex was, in contrast to his often portrayed grumpy persona.

RELAXED

It was shortly after Man United's Champions League defeat by Real Madrid where Ferguson remonstrated angrily with officials, after Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir's controversial decision to show Nani a red card. He was furious about the decision which he felt swung the tie in Real's favour and led to them exiting the league. "That was in my head, how angry he'd been but he was so nice, a genteman, and so relaxed," Liam says.

He talked to Liam about soccer in Waterford and told him about his brother Martin who was a player/coach with Waterford in the late '60s. Martin was also Man United's chief European scout and in fact, has only just retired from that position. Fergie also chatted to Liam about Waterford player John O'Shea who went on to play for United and for the Irish national team. He's presently acting captain with Sunderland FC.

Seemingly knowing that Tallow is also big horse breeding country, he spoke to Liam too about the business, telling him about the horses he has interests in. He also took the time to stand in for a photograph with Liam and to autograph some items for him.

"He showed no signs that he was considering retiring, he said he was looking forward to going to Australia in the summer with the team so I didn't believe it when I first heard the news last week - I thought it was only speculation," Liam said. It's made his private meeting with him all the more special.

The young man, who works in Lismore House Hotel and deejays on the side, has been to Old Trafford four times in the last 10 months. He plans to continue as a member of the red army, despite the impending departure of its world famous manager.

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