UTD Podcast: Sir Alex's hands-on role!

The former Manchester United man is the latest subject behind the microphone for our official club podcast.

In the podcast, which is now available on the streaming platform of your choice, the utility man, who made 186 appearances for the first-team, revealed the special treatment he received from Sir Alex.

The former Wales international played under both Ron Atkinson and Sir Alex and, when the latter came through the door in November 1986, Blackmore recalls major changes in the culture at the club.

"Straight away, he tried to stamp the drinking culture out," Blackmore said.

"The manager was way ahead of himself. He started bringing us in on a Sunday to get rid of the lactic acid, which was never done before."

As a part of the routine remove soreness, the players were treated with massages, with some even receiving them from Sir Alex himself!

"With the amount of staff we had, he was massaging our legs, the gaffer was," Blackmore said to huge laughter among presenters Helen Evans, Sam Homewood and ex-Red David May.

"The gaffer, Archie [Knox] and Jim McGregor. I mean, he’s washed my legs once before. As soon as he touched them, it was in the newspapers the next day.

"We didn’t have staff, did we? We only had Jim McGregor, the physio, then we had Sir Alex and Archie. On a normal day, if he wasn’t doing it, the kitman would. Normally he had way too much stuff to do."

Although Sir Alex ended up giving massages, the relationship between manager and player did not get off to the best start due to Blackmore going on honeymoon.

"It was a tricky one because I'd just got married and I had organised to go away," the 1992/93 Premier League-winner said.

"He brought us back a week earlier than what Ron [Atkinson] used to do, so I told the gaffer and he said it was fine. I came back and he didn’t speak to me for a month.

"First time he came up to me, he said: 'You’re playing against Spurs tomorrow', and that was that."