But an unexpected call this month, seven years after they last spoke, reminded him of Ferguson’s character off the pitch too.
Macheda, who burst onto the scene with a stunning injury-time winner against Aston Villa in 2009, remains grateful for his former boss’s support.
Macheda, 33, told The Sun: “All of a sudden I had a surprise call from him while I was driving with my wife.
“She said, ‘Stop the car.’ I didn’t have his number saved.
“We hadn’t spoken for six or seven years.
“Sir Alex called me just to know how I was, asking about my life, my family, my son, getting married.
“We had a very easy, good conversation about Greece, my time at Manchester United, United at the moment for seven or eight minutes.
“This surprise call made me understand that this guy is something else.
“He was always amazing with me but to speak to him lately was great because he keeps following his players. It made my day because I owe him so much.”