Sir Jim Ratcliffe has called his investment in Manchester United the most exciting thing he has ever been involved in.
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Ratcliffe attended Man Utd's game with TottenhamExpects £1.25bn investment to be ratified next monthCalls Eric Cantona his favourite playerWHAT HAPPENED?
Ratcliffe was at Old Trafford for United's Premier League game with Tottenham, the first fixture he has attended since agreeing to buy a 25 percent stake in the club for £1.25 billion ($1.59 bn), in exchange for taking control of the football operation.
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"I've done a few exciting things but this caps it all. There's no question about that," Ratcliffe told reporters before the game. "We've been interested in being involved for three or four years, we had a few tries along the road that didn't work out but these things quite often happen and it all turned out well in the end."
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Ratcliffe's INEOS firm beat off competition from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to buy a stake in United, which was finally confirmed on Christmas Eve. However, the deal must still be ratified by the Premier League and will be subject to financial regulations. Ratcliffe said the deal should be made official by "early to mid-February, fingers crossed." He added: "We hope they don't find anything dodgy."
DID YOU KNOW?
Ratcliffe, who grew up on a council estate in Failsworth in the north of Manchester and supported United as a child, said Eric Cantona was his favourite player. He attended the 1999 Champions League final at Camp Nou, when United snatched a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich with two goals in added time.