Knighton calls Ferguson to get the Glazers to sell amid Man United takeover bid

Michael Knighton has pleaded for Sir Alex Ferguson to back his Manchester United takeover bid - to stop the Glazers from continuing their 'wilful destruction' of the once great club.

Knighton was a board member at Old Trafford between 1989 and 1992, during Fergie's early years writing his name into folklore at the club, and is still an advisor at the Red Devils to this day.

However, the 70-year-old has called upon the Scot, and other members of the Manchester United hierarchy, to convince the Glazer family to sell up their holding in United, allowing Knighton, or Sir Jim Ratcliffe, to step in instead.

Discussing the situation at the Royal Academy of Arts, as reported by The Sun, Knighton said: 'I call out Sir Alex Ferguson and I call out David Gill.

'I also call out Michael Edelsen, who was a director when I spent three years on the United board, and chairman Martin Edwards used the blueprint I put forward to begin the transformation of the club into the powerhouse it became.

'Ferguson, Gill and Edelsen still work alongside the Glazers.

'How can they stand by and allow the wilful destruction of Manchester United to continue?

'Sir Alex and David Gill could have stopped the Glazers in their tracks before the takeover happened.

'For reasons only they know, they didn’t. But now they have to act.'

He feels that now is the right time for 80-year-old Sir Alex to speak out. Knighton said: 'Ferguson only has to look at where the team are in relation to Manchester City and Liverpool.

'Look at Old Trafford. One of the most iconic stadiums in the world, in such a state of disrepair that it’s an embarrassment.'

Knighton's audacious bid was overshadowed by Sir Jim's confirmed interest in the United deal.

While the 70-year-old Knighton accepts his team didn't have the money required to fix all Manchester United's problems on and off the pitch, Sir Jim might be the right fit.

Knighton said: 'My consortium doesn’t have the funds to do what needs to be done.

'You’re talking £2.5bn to buy the club, £500m to pay off the debts, £700m to renovate Old Trafford and another £500m to invest in the team.

'We would need help - and that’s why I’ve been smoking out Sir Jim over the last six months.'

As well as his work with United, Knighton owned Carlisle United for a decade between 1992 and 2002, including taking on a spell as manager of the club.