Fortune finds favour with Ferguson

QUINTON FORTUNE believes the abrupt departure of David Beckham from Manchester United has reinforced an unwritten Old Trafford rule — if you do not perform, you are out.

While Sir Alex Ferguson was never going to allow a personality clash to affect his team selection, once Beckham was no longer the pivotal figure at United, there was little doubt he would eventually find himself heading through the exit door.

In saying his farewells, Beckham joins a long list of talents who have become surplus to Ferguson’s requirements, starting with Norman Whiteside, through to Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis and latterly Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole.