Sir Alex Ferguson ‘was ready to apologise’ to his Manchester United players after he surprisingly sold Andrei Kanchelskis.

The former Russian winger arrived in 1991 from Shakhtar Donetsk and won two Premier League titles during a four-year spell at Old Trafford.

But Kanchelskis was offloaded to Everton in 1995 amid concerns about alleged financial dealings around the player.

‘When I left United, Ferguson was ready to apologise to the whole team,’ Kanchelskis told Sport-Express.

Kanchelskis has always denied there was anything improper that contributed to his exit from Manchester United.

The transfer would prove to be a blessing in disguise for the Red Devils as David Beckham stepped up to take his place in the team.

‘Beckham wrote that if I had not left Manchester, he would not have played. It’s nice that I gave him the way,’ Kanchelskis added.

‘As a result, they recognise me more in England than in Russia.’