Sir Alex Ferguson personally welcomes Steve Bruce into the 1000 club | OneFootball

Sir Alex Ferguson signed Steve Bruce for Manchester United back in 1987.

The defender played over 300 games for Man Utd as he spent almost a decade playing at Old Trafford.

Now 34 years after signing him as a player, Sir Alex Ferguson is welcoming Steve Bruce into the 1000 club. Managers who have taken charge of 1000 matches.

The LMA (League Managers Association) award due to Bruce as he moves from 999 to 1000 when Newcastle play Tottenham on Sunday.

Earlier today (Friday 15 October 2021), an official statement from Newcastle United confirmed that Steve Bruce would remain at St James Park for at least this one more match…

Official statement on Steve Bruce from the LMA (League Managers Association):

‘The League Managers Association (LMA) congratulates Steve Bruce on his induction into the LMA 1000 Club and Hall of Fame.

Steve will become only the 34th manager in the modern era of English football to have reached the landmark of 1000 competitive matches, when he manages Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur, on Sunday 17th October.

Steve began his professional football management career with spells at Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Wigan Athletic and Crystal Palace.

In 2001, he became the manager of Birmingham City. In his first season with the Blues, Steve led the team to Premier League promotion via the play-offs, ending a 16-year absence from the top level of English football. He spent six years in charge of Birmingham, guiding the team back to the Premier League for a second time in the 2006-07 season.

In November 2007, Steve became the manager of Wigan Athletic for a second time, securing Premier League survival in the penultimate game of the season. Following his time at Wigan, he managed Premier League side Sunderland.

Steve then spent four years in charge of Hull City, guiding the club to promotion to the Premier League in his first season. The following season, Hull City reached the final of the FA Cup for the first time, losing out to Arsenal. However, by reaching the final, the club qualified for the UEFA Europa League, its first European campaign.

Following spells with Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday, Steve was appointed manager of his boyhood club Newcastle United, where he will reach the 1000 game milestone and confirm his place amongst the most experienced managers of his generation.

On his induction to the LMA Hall of Fame 1000 Club, Steve Bruce said: “Reaching 1000 matches as a manager and being inducted into the League Managers Association Hall of Fame 1000 Club is a real honour for me and an accomplishment that I share with my family, who have supported me throughout my career.

“From the very start of my managerial career I have always enjoyed working with my players every day and I thoroughly enjoy watching them develop and progress in their careers. It goes without saying that I have great appreciation for the coaching staff who have given me invaluable support over the past 23 years.

“It is very special for me to manage my 1000th match as Newcastle manager and join the 33 other members of the LMA Hall of Fame 1000 Club, which of course includes my former manager Sir Alex Ferguson and fellow Geordie Sir Bobby Robson.”

LMA Chairman Howard Wilkinson, paying tribute to Steve’s achievement, said: “Most people will dream of mastering the game as a player or as a coach, but only a handful are able to do both to the level achieved by Steve Bruce.

“After a remarkable 737 appearances as a player, his reliability, unselfish nature and infatuation with the game led 10 of English football’s elite clubs to entrust him with the keys to the manager’s office.

“In reaching his 1000th game in management, whilst operating at the highest level of the domestic game, Steve joins a small but illustrious group of his peers, who have outlasted and outsmarted the challenges they have faced. Steve well deserves his place in the LMA Hall of Fame 1000 Club and has the full support and admiration of his colleagues in the LMA.”

LMA Board and 1000 Club member Sir Alex Ferguson CBE said: “I’m delighted to be able to congratulate Steve Bruce on reaching 1000 matches and as a result joining the LMA Hall of Fame 1000 Club.

“For me it was a certainty that Steve would become a manager. When he was playing for me at Manchester United, I observed that he always had a fantastic ability to communicate and motivate, both with his more experienced teammates and with the younger players coming through.

“Steve has gained a wealth of experience from all of the clubs he has managed during his 1000 matches and, no matter the circumstances of the club he is managing, he shows great tenacity and maintains an enthusiasm and resilience which is not always an easy thing do.

“Steve has a vast amount of technical and tactical experience from both his playing and management careers and this knowledge has no doubt played an important role in Steve reaching 1000 matches.

“Steve is a dignified leader who gives his unwavering commitment to every club that he manages.”

LMA Chief Executive Richard Bevan said: “Steve is one of the most prominent leaders of his generation. The skills he exhibited as a player have been honed throughout his 1000 matches in professional management and he is now widely regarded as one of the most experienced English managers of the past two decades.

“The fact that Steve has reached his milestone at the club he grew up supporting will mean a great deal to him. He is a passionate football man, with the drive and determination to succeed in every role to which he is appointed, but also the humility and compassion you would expect of a great manager.

“The LMA congratulates him on his achievements and his career to date.”

The LMA Hall of Fame 1000 Club is a celebration of success and longevity. In a profession where time can often be an all too rare commodity, 1000 Club members have exhibited an enduring quality, achieving a truly prodigious amount.