Alex Ferguson’s touching story of John O’Shea the day Manchester City won the league

"For 30 seconds, we were champions."

We'll never see the like of it again. Last game of the season, last minutes of the season, Manchester City claim their first ever Premier League title from nowhere. Before United went to Sunderland and City hosted QPR, it looked like this. After 91 minutes of the last game, it looked like this. Manchester United - 89 points Manchester City - 86 points Then Edin Dzeko struck. Then... AGUEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! United were waiting on the Sunderland pitch after a 1-0 win, ready to celebrate a league title. It didn't happen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iXUMUhMyh0 Speaking at An Evening With Rory McIlroy at the Convention Centre on Tuesday night, Ferguson recounted that fateful day at the Stadium of Light, listening as their city rivals came from 2-1 down to snatch the league from them. And how even a Sunderland player found United's misfortune hard to take. Even if the fans loved it.

"When we lost the league to City, for 30 seconds we were champions," he said. "We actually thought we had won it and we were on the pitch until the Sunderland fans started chanting. "I went from half ready to celebrate to coming back into the dressing room. I'll always remember, as we were going down the tunnel, John O'Shea was standing there and he was almost crying. John was a Sunderland boy [by then] "He said, 'Boss, what can I say?' "I had to brush by him as my mind was going 'What can I say to these boys of mine?' "I let them over it and I said, 'Right, anybody interviews you, you congratulate City. We're going to win it next year'."

Sums both of them up.