Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe opened up on three of his heroes at Manchester United and revealed his all-time favourite player at the Premier League club.
Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent stake in United was announced on Christmas Eve in 2023 and the British billionaire has now become a key figure at Old Trafford.
The 71-year-old boyhood United fan will have his Ineos delegation in charge of football operations at the Red Devils and fans are optimistic about his involvement.
Ratcliffe has since visited United’s Carrington training complex and has been pictured with manager Erik ten Hag and Red Devils striker Rasmus Hojlund during his visit.
The Ineos boss will be on United’s all-important three-person committee to run football matters at the club alongside Ineos director of sport Sir Dave Brailsford.
Ratcliffe has been present at United since his purchase was announced and sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson for the 2-2 draw against Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe’s favourite-ever United player
Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent stake in United is worth an eye-watering £1.3bn and the Ineos chief has committed a further £245m into the development of Old Trafford.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Ratcliffe took part in an ‘informal gathering’ with reporters at Old Trafford and shared his thoughts on different matters.
Ratcliffe, who previously tried to purchase Premier League side Chelsea, revealed that Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona were among his United heroes.
However, the United fan settled on one player who stood out the most in his mind as his favourite-ever player at Old Trafford.
“Eric, probably,” he said.
Ratcliffe on Ten Hag and Old Trafford
Ten Hag’s future was cast in uncertainty amid Ratcliffe’s minority stake purchase, with the United boss facing mounting pressure over the club’s results this season.
However, the 53-year-old Dutchman remains in the Old Trafford hot seat and Ratcliffe has opened up about his relationship with Ten Hag.
Ratcliffe revealed that he hadn’t spoken to Ten Hag directly until he arrived at United and it would have been “inappropriate” to do so before his stake was “formalised.”
The Ineos chief added that his last attendance at Old Trafford before United’s clash with Spurs came “two or three years ago.”
Speaking on whether he would attend future United matches, he said: “I can’t come all the time because I have some other things. But I will come.”
According to Ratcliffe, he attended his first live United match at Old Trafford when he was 10 “or something,” which was around “60 years ago.”