A Manchester United statement said that "the procedure [brain surgery] has gone very well but he [Ferguson] needs a period of intensive care to optimize his recovery; his family request privacy."
It was reported that Ferguson's wife and his three sons remain at his hospital bedside after he was put into an induced coma following the surgery. Ferguson was taken to the UK-based Salford Royal Hospital after he complained of feeling unwell at his home in the town of Wilmslow near Manchester on Saturday.
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Twitter users, including football icons such as Ronaldo, Rooney and Schmeichel as well as ordinary netizens, have been devastated by the news and wished Ferguson a speedy recovery.
Ferguson stepped down in 2013 after winning 38 trophies, including 13 league titles and two Champions Leagues during his time at Manchester United, which he had managed since 1986. Many football players, managers, and analysts see him as one of the greatest and most successful managers of all time.