FROM STALIN TO KEANE

Last updated : 08 February 2007 By Ed

From the Sun

Sir Alex Ferguson is nuts about another red devil — evil Russian dictator Joseph Stalin.

The Man United hardman — a history buff famed for ruling with a rod of iron often wipes the floor with his players during frequent club quizzes.

Now he has admitted he loves reading about the man who wiped out millions of his own people.

Fergie revealed: “The book I have enjoyed most over the past year was Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar.

It was eye-opening. How he managed to kill probably 30 or 40 million people and conceal it is unbelievable.

We all know about Hitler's atrocities because of the end of the Second World War, but he managed to keep it covered up.”

Fergie also revealed he enjoyed former Red Devils skipper Roy Keane's explosive autobiography.

Keane, now boss of Championship side Sunderland, was fined a record £150,000 after admitting in the book that he had deliberately targeted Man City midfielder Alf Inge Haaland in a revenge spat. Haaland suffered an horrific injury.

The Irish hardman was eventually shown the door by United after having a go at his team-mates and letting his honesty get the better of him just two years ago.

Ferguson said: “I read a lot of books. Best football book? I don't know.

Roy Keane's was a good one. I thought it had a great openness about it — it was straight from the heart. It was quite a passionate book, written in an emotional way.”

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