Sir Alex Ferguson still alive: Michael Owen gives health update on former Manchester United boss

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was as "sharp as a tack" just a day before he was taken to hospital after suddenly falling ill, Michael Owen has said. Sir Alex, a Man U legend, was taken to hospital ahead of his former club's battle with Premier League rivals Liverpool on Sunday (May 3), with the club saying he fell ill before kick-off at Old Trafford - which the Red Devils went on to win, 3-2.

Now, former Man Utd striker Owen has spoken about his conversation with managerial legend just hours before he was taken to hospital. Owen, who played under 84-year-old Ferguson during a stint at Old Trafford between 2009 and 2012, said he speaks to his former gaffer regularly - as both are involved with horse racing.

And the former England striker told talkSPORT Breakfast he had chatted with Ferguson the day before his shock illness.

"I spoke to him, I was on the phone to him for 40 minutes that morning," Owen said. "We're talking about football, we're talking about horses. As I say, he's got horses here (at Owen's Manor House Stables). Most Saturday mornings, he gives me a call, and we go through all the horses for the day, and we share what we know and things like that."

He added: "I speak to him regularly, and he sounded absolutely brilliant, sharp as a tack as normal. We were talking a lot about Scottish football and what was happening up there, so it was such a shock to hear, obviously, that the next day he was taken unwell, but hopefully it's not too serious."

It is understood Ferguson, who won 13 top-flight titles with Manchester United during his 17-year stint in charge at Old Trafford, has now returned home following his illness and is doing well.

And Owen said he was expecting contact from the hall of fame manager, adding: "I would expect a message on my phone any time now because he'll see that we've got four or five runners today at Chester and he'll be wondering what's going on. Which horse should he be looking at?"

Sir Alex was manager of Manchester United between 1986 and 2013, winning a total of 38 trophies, the most of any manager in history, including the 13 league titles, two Champions Leagues and five FA Cups.

The Scot also led United to the first ever continental treble by an English club in the 1998-99 season, winning the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League, secured in a dramatic last-gasp win over German rivals, Bayern Munich with two goals in added time from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær at the Camp Nou, Barcelona.