Former Reds applaud Sir Alex Ferguson’s huge contribution

Ex-England international midfielder Scholes echoed those sentiments, telling the Premier League: “Until anybody gets close or goes past him, he will be the greatest manager that the Premier League has ever seen. I don’t see how that can ever be beaten. But as we’re talking after 30 years, he’s by far the most successful and, in my eyes, will always be the best. And, hopefully, his record will always stand.

“The thing that was massive at the start of every season was Sir Alex’s hunger and desire. If you didn’t have that, he could sense that straight away and you were gone. So to reproduce that year on year was something he was brilliant at doing. And he was a winner. He needed to win.”

And Rio Ferdinand, one of the country’s finest defenders, was in awe of the unflinching commitment and drive of the coaching icon.

“Every move he made was calculated,” said the centre-back. “I don’t think there would have been many interviews in crunch times of a season that he went into where he hasn’t had a thought process going into it.

“Whether it be the team have been terrible or the referee’s made a small decision that maybe impacted the game a little bit, everything he does is for a reaction and that’s part of his greatness. He played that game better than anyone.