When Darragh MacAnthony threatened Darren Ferguson with the sack at the start of one of the greatest seasons in Peterborough United history

MacAnthony has been a lively guest on talkSport on Friday morning and told his surprise story during a discussion on Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom’s future.

Stories surfaced this morning claiming Heckingbottom would be sacked if the Blades lost their Premier League fixture at Arsenal on Saturday.

MacAnthony said: “We’d gone up from League Two in Darren’s first full season with us and no-one expected us to go up the next season.

"I did and when we started the next season slowly I gave Darren an ultimatum. I was sitting in my office in Spain and I rang him and told him if we didn’t win our next three games I would have to bomb him.

"We had Leeds coming up and I was soon getting a call from Barry Fry saying Darren hadn’t taken the phone call very well.

"I shouldn’t have done it, but I was young and stupid back then. I wouldn’t do it now.

"We did win the next three games though!”

Posh were 14th in League One after a 2-2 home draw with Tranmere, but won at MK Dons (2-1), beat Leeds at London Road (2-0) and then won at Walsall (2-1) which was the start of a 14-game unbeaten run.

Posh ultimately finished second behind champions Leicester City to secure back-to-back promotions to the second tier for the second time in the club’s history.

Ferguson was sacked in November of the following season when Posh were bottom of the Championship.