Fergie boot attack made Beckham snap

David Beckham has told of how he had to be restrained by his team-mates from attacking Sir Alex Ferguson after the Manchester United manager kicked a football boot in his face.

"I went for the gaffer (manager). I don't know if I've ever lost control like that in my life before," explained 28-year-old England captain Beckham in an extract from his autobiography, 'My Side' serialised in British daily tabloid the Sun.

Beckham, who scored on his league debut for Spanish giants Real Madrid last weekend following his pre-season transfer from United, added: "I put one hand up to it and found myself wiping blood away off my eyebrow."

But before he could get close to Ferguson, Beckham was held back by team-mates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

On Sunday, Ferguson, 61, widely regarded as one of British football's greatest managers, saw his English champions beaten 1-0 away to Southampton in what was United's first league defeat since December 26.

But not even one of the Scot's post-match dressing room 'hairdryer' rants (so called because he stands close enough to dry the luckless player's hair) at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium could have equalled his Beckham booting.

On February 15, United were knocked out of the FA Cup following a 2-0 defeat against arch-rivals Arsenal.

According to Beckham, Ferguson's first words on entering the dressing room were: "'David. What about the second goal? What were you doing?'"

"It wasn't my fault," Beckham insisted. "Their bloke's made a run off someone in central midfield."

Ferguson responed by accusing Beckham of not listening to him.

"I couldn't believe it. I'd been listening - and wanting to listen - my whole career."

Eventually, after Ferguson tried to get Beckham to admit his error, the playmaker, by his own admission unwisely, responded by swearing at him.

"What happened then doesn't seem real now. There was a boot on the floor. He swung his leg and kicked it."

Beckham said that what followed was like "some mad scene out of a gangster movie with them (his team-mates) holding me back as I tried to get the gaffer."

Although Ferguson apologised straight away, his refusal to say sorry in public after reports of the incident appeared in newspapers angered Beckham. "Now this thing was in the public eye I really believed the gaffer's apology should be made public too."

Beckham, one of 'Fergie's fledglings' after coming through a United youth system reinvigorated under Ferguson, said that only looking back did he see how the incident had signalled the end of what had been the duo's close working relationship.

"At any other point in my career as a United player, we'd have called it quits there and then."

"I didn't realise, though, in the days after that Arsenal game, what I know now: the boss and I had already reached a point where there was going to be no turning back."