Paul Ince spoke with the Daily Mail about issues such as inflated transfer fees for today's players and the details of his move to Inter Milan.

37 years ago this month, Manchester United suffered a humiliating 1-5 defeat to Manchester City in the Manchester Derby at Maine Road. Afterwards, Sir Alex Ferguson returned home to Cheshire, went straight to bed and buried his head in the pillow. Ferguson later wrote: "We chose the worst possible day to hit rock bottom. Guilt consumed me entirely."

In the summer of 1989, several of his new signings were staying at the Ramada Hotel in the city centre and had no choice but to hide in their rooms that night. Paul Ince, Neil Webb, Gary Pallister and Danny Wallace had planned to take their partners out to dinner, but security advised them to order room service instead.

Ince recalled: "The hotel was full of fans outside constantly abusing us, saying we were useless and so on. We didn't go out all night, just stayed in our rooms, didn't move an inch. A week earlier, I made my home debut against Millwall, and we won 5-1. I told my wife Claire: 'I love playing football here, it's easy.' But that Derby taught us a harsh lesson about what this game really means to Manchester United fans and the people of Manchester. That's the rivalry between the two teams. Everyone expected us to beat Manchester City. After that, I remember, we never lost to them again, and I scored several goals, which I'm quite proud of."

In fact, it took another 13 years and 17 matches before Ferguson's team lost to Manchester City again. The gap in quality between the two teams widened throughout the 1990s, including in Ince's final season at Manchester United, when the Red Devils secured a 5-0 victory over their rivals at Old Trafford, a belated revenge for Manchester United fans.

This Sunday, the two teams will meet at Old Trafford for the 199th Manchester Derby. The dramatic reversal in their fortunes and the disparity in midfield spending this summer could be the best evidence of this.

Manchester City spent a total of £326.6m on Enzo, Elliott Anderson and Boadu, more than double Manchester United's transfer spending (£155m on Balaba, Santos and Tielemans). The two teams have brought nearly £500m in new midfield talent to Manchester.

Ince, who once formed an impressive midfield trio with Bryan Robson and Roy Keane, repeatedly shook his head: "I remember when I came to Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson told me: 'I've watched you for two years before I decided to sign you.' Two whole years! Now some players have one good season, and their value can reach £100m."

"Nothing against Elliott Anderson, but his former club Nottingham Forest nearly went down. Enzo for £125m? I really can't understand it, I genuinely don't, the money in the transfer market has become absolutely ridiculous."

"Manchester United paid £50m for Santos, who barely played at Chelsea; and then £70m for Balaba, who was injured for most of last season and won't return until October. Tielemans is worth £35m."

"Compare the performances of Roy Keane, Gerrard, Lampard and these players today, and you'll see that current transfer fees are insane. Today, Keane and Gerrard would both be worth £200m."

"Manchester United's midfield in our era was probably one of the strongest in Europe. Bryan Robson was my idol, and Keane was a phenomenal player. It's very difficult to see such players nowadays. If you asked me in 30 years who the greatest midfielders in Manchester United's history were, the answer would still be Keane, Robson and Scholes."

Ince believes the dynasty built by Ferguson has gradually crumbled over the past 13 years, and the comparison between then and now is lamentable, not just for midfielders.

"After the boss left in 2013, we had seven or eight managers who came and went like a revolving door. The recruitment was a mess, the management was equally poor, and there are many problems with how the club is run, so what else can you expect?"

"Manchester United keeps trying different types of managers, but none of them have been successful. The club initially gave Solskjær a two-year contract, and everyone saw what happened after that. I just hope Carrick doesn't repeat the same mistakes. Is he ready to manage a big club? I can't say."

"It's interesting that someone who just got sacked at Middlesbrough can then take on one of the biggest jobs in world football. Football is absurd that way, but we can't keep changing managers. A manager needs stability, and I think Carrick deserves that opportunity."

Ince, less than a month away from his 59th birthday, still dares to take on challenges, just like the sharp 21-year-old who moved from West Ham United to Old Trafford in 1989.

He joined several other Premier League legends in a studio on the outskirts of Manchester to participate in an awareness campaign jointly launched by the British Heart Foundation and Sky Sports to dispel misconceptions about defibrillators among fans and ease their concerns about using them.

"There are fewer and fewer players with personality in football," Ince said. He also played for Inter Milan and Liverpool during his career and won 53 caps for England. "Now players are more concerned with themselves and external opinions. Everyone is cautious and worried, anxious about what they can and can't do. If I were a player today and couldn't handle online comments, I wouldn't use social media at all. If you can't handle it, then don't use it."

"In our time, we dared to speak our minds. If Ferguson told me something I disagreed with, I told him directly. It was the same between Roy Keane and me. We had disagreements, but when it was time to play, we played well. Off the pitch, we were good friends, fighting side by side. That quality is gone now."

Ince also recalls that he and Ferguson had to be pulled apart and talked down after Manchester United's 3-1 victory over Norwich at Carrow Road in 1993, a match that led to their long-awaited league title. During his time at Manchester United, he won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.

Ferguson was always concerned about Ince's flamboyant image as "The Guv'nor" and also wanted to make room for the development of young Butt. In the summer of 1995, after Manchester United won the Double but the league title went to Blackburn and they lost the FA Cup to Everton, Ferguson approved, against the board's wishes, Ince's £7.5m transfer to Inter Milan.

Ince was playing golf with Giggs at Mottram Golf Club when Ferguson drove a short distance onto the course to tell him the decision personally.

"I was on the 17th hole, one shot ahead, and I was completely stunned when I heard the news," Ince recalled, laughing. He still plays with Giggs in legends tournaments today.

In the final stages of the deal, Ince was at his house in Bramhall while his agent and a delegation from Inter Milan led by President Moratti finalised the contract details. Ferguson, who was on holiday in Colorado, called to try to persuade him to cancel the transfer.

"Honestly, the die was cast," Ince said. "We were sitting in the kitchen, Moratti was there with his vice-president and several assistants, their usual setup. Sir Alex Ferguson said to me: 'Listen Paul, I want you to stay. Butt will come through soon, and you'll have to fight for your place.' No disrespect to Butt—he was a very good player and a good friend of mine—but at that point, he wasn't as good as me. When I heard that, I thought 'no thanks', and I left Manchester United."

Übersetzt von KI.

Die AF-Website ist jetzt online! Vollständige Nachrichten, Kommentare, Spieldetails und Statistiken auf dem Computer. Besuchen Sie: www.allfootballapp.com