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Arguments will rage as to the best manager of all time. But one thing is for certain. Sir Alex Ferguson will at least make the short list of every single one of those debates. In terms of longevity, it’s hard to find too many peers for the impossibly driven Manchester United manager. Celebrating 26 years at the club, his time at Manchester United has been littered with insightful, curious, comical and crazy quotes. Here are some of the most memorable from his glorious tenure at Manchester United.

Fergie on ‘Fergie time’

“There were six substitutions, the trainer came on, so that’s four minutes right away and the goalkeeper must have wasted about two or three minutes and they took their time at every goal kick.”

Fergie on Rafa Benitez’ ‘facts’

“I think he was an angry man. He must have been disturbed for some reason. I think you have got to cut through the venom of it and hopefully he’ll reflect and understand what he said was absolutely ridiculous”

Fergie on Paul Ince

‘He’s a bully, a f****** big-time Charlie.’

Fergie on Paul Ince, the player

“I used to have a saying that when a player is at his peak, he feels as though he can climb Everest in his slippers. That’s what he was like”

Fergie on Italians

‘When an Italian tells me it’s pasta on the plate, I check under the sauce to make sure. They are the inventors of the smokescreen.’

Fergie on Italian teams

“They come out with the ‘English are so strong, we’re terrible in the air, we can’t do this, we can’t do that’. Then they beat you 3 – 0″

Fergie on hitting Becks with a boot

‘It was a freakish incident. If I tried it 100 or a million times it couldn’t happen again. If I could I would have carried on playing.’

Fergie on Rooney

“He demonstrates great hunger and desire all the time. Without doubt, he is the best 21-year-old I have ever had.” 

Fergie on Becks as a player

“David Beckham is Britain’s finest striker of a football not because of God-given talent but because he practises with a relentless application that the vast majority of less gifted players wouldn’t contemplate.” 

Fergie on Alan Wiley

‘The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. It is an indictment of our game. You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher’s dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn’t fit. He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous.’

Fergie’s half time team talk Manchester United vs Bayern Munich 1999

“At the end of this game, the European Cup will be only six feet away from you and you’ll not even able to touch it if we lose. And for many of you that will be the closest you will ever get. Don’t you dare come back in here without giving your all”

Fergie on Mourinho

‘He was certainly full of it, calling me ‘Boss’ and ‘Big Man’ when we had our post-match drink after the first leg. But it would help if his greetings were accompanied by a decent glass of wine. What he gave me was paint-stripper.’

Fergie defends Veron to the media

“On you go. I’m no f*****g talking to you. He’s a f*****g great player. Yous are f*****g idiots.”

Fergie on Filippo Inzaghi

‘Inzaghi was born in an offside position.’

Fergie on the media

‘I don’t give any of you credibility. You talk about wanting to have an association with people here and you wonder why I don’t get on with you? But you’re a f****** embarrassment. One of these days the door is going to be shut on you permanently.’

Fergie on Giggs

‘I remember the first time I saw him. He was 13 and just floated over the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind.’

Fergie on Liverpool

‘My greatest challenge is not what’s happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their ******* perch. And you can print that.’

Fergie on Chelsea. And cats…

“If Chelsea drop points, the cat’s out in the open. And you know what cats are like – sometimes they don’t come home.”

Fergie on Roy Keane

“I don’t think I could have a higher opinion of any footballer than I already had of the Irishman, but he rose even further in my estimation at the Stadio Delle Alpi. The minute he was booked and out of the final he seemed to redouble his efforts to get the team there. It was the most emphatic display of selflessness I have seen on a football field. Pounding over every blade of grass, competing if he would rather die of exhaustion than lose he inspired all around him. I felt it was an honour to be associated with such a player. “

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