Sir Alex Ferguson admits his 25 years at Manchester United are a 'fairytale' but insists he has no plans to retire yet.
Boss looks back on 25 years at Old Trafford
Sir Alex Ferguson believes his 25 years at Manchester United are a 'fairytale' but insists he has no plans to retire yet.
The Scot arrived at the Red Devils from Aberdeen 25 years ago on Sunday and will celebrate the milestone with a gala dinner at Lancashire County Cricket Club on Thursday.
Ferguson - who is United's longest serving manager - is usually reluctant to reminisce on his trophy-laden spell in charge at the club.
However, on this occasion he did spare a few moments to reflect on the past two-and-a-half decades and how the English game has changed since his arrival in 1986.
Fairytale
"It is a bit of a fairytale to last so long," he said. "It has been a fantastic spell for me. It is something you don't think is going to happen and I appreciate that.
"When I look back I say to myself how fortunate I am to have had these players.
"The list is incredible, going back to the very start with Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Brian McClair, (Mark) Hughes, (Paul) Ince, (Roy) Keane, (Eric) Cantona. What a collection of players. They were fantastic players.
"It is hard to think I controlled all these players for so long.
"Now to the present era of players we see today, different personalities and different cultures.
"It is difficult to put everything in a box. I don't think you can do that. It is such a varied time in management. Things change as the years go on. There is a different way of managing today than there was even seven or eight years ago."
Healthy
After initially announcing - and then postponing - his retirement a decade ago speculation is rife as to when Ferguson will eventually bring the curtain down on his glittering managerial career.
However, the 69-year-old refuses to set a retirement date and insists he will carry on as long as he is able to.
He added: "I will continue as long as I feel healthy enough to do it."
