Ferguso brings up 25yrs in charge of united on Nov 6

No retirement plans for Fergie has no plans for retirement

United manager looks back at time in charge at Old Trafford

• Ferguson: Not sure who will eventually replace him but has no intention of leaving just yet

 

Sir Alex Ferguson has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving Manchester United in the near future as he considers who might one day become his successor.

Ferguson will bring up 25 years in charge of United on 6th November, before celebrating his 70th birthday at the end of December.

He planned to stand down almost a decade ago but changed his mind and has not looked back since, leading the Red Devils to another period of success.

The debate about who should eventually replace Ferguson has raged for years, and the man himself believes it would have to be somebody with great experience.

"I think you would need someone very experienced in the long term. But I have absolutely no idea... first of all, I'm not retiring."

Sir Alex Ferguson on his possible successor Quotes of the week

But the Scot feels it is virtually impossible to predict the identity of the next manager, as a host of names have been linked with the role in the past.

At various times, Bryan Robson, Steve McClaren, Mark Hughes, Martin O'Neill and a host of top continental bosses have been connected with the post.

Current favourite to replace Ferguson is Jose Mourinho, although a mounting disciplinary crime sheet at Real Madrid is not helping his cause.

Yet, speaking to the Italian media at an awards ceremony at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Ferguson confirmed he is going nowhere.

He said: "Over the years I've had the question who do I think could replace me? Now in those years, some of the coaches they were talking about to replace me don't have jobs anymore.

"So it becomes very difficult because someone who I think has potential may be sacked by his club and disappear.

"I think you would need someone very experienced in the long term. But I have absolutely no idea... first of all, I'm not retiring."

Greatest challenge

Asked about his own journey to becoming a football legend, Ferguson heaped praise on United for allowing him the time to build something special.

"When I arrived, my greatest challenge was to go back to the successes of the past, the time of Matt Busby," he explained in Corriere dello Sport.

"Obviously it takes time. At first I was not prepared for this change: I had to start from scratch, creating the foundations of a football club.

"I was very conscious of this, but I could not change my philosophy, I could not give up the ideas I believed.

"So I started like I did at Aberdeen, with young players. It gives enormous pleasure to prepare a young man and see him play in the Premier League, then in the national team, following his growth.

"I am fortunate to have worked with Bobby Charlton, he had been before me and knew what really was Manchester United.

"He fully supported my desire to grow young talent from the beginning. His unconditional support was my luck in England where, as elsewhere in the world, if you lose three games you're out.

"I could work on the foundation, then gradually came all the champions who everyone knows. And then came our first trophy."

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