Walking in a Fergie Wonderland

Sir Alex Ferguson is undoubtedly the greatest football manager in living memory. With a reign at Manchester United approaching 25 years, Sir Alex has brought countless trophies and records to Old Trafford and has transformed United into the most popular football club in the world. Born in Glasgow in 1941, Ferguson played for Queen's Park, Dunfermline and Rangers before retiring in 1974 to begin his managerial career. At Aberdeen, he led a struggling side to the Scottish League championship and the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup. But it is at Manchester United that Sir Alex has achieved world domination. Joining the club in November 1986, Ferguson immediately set about improving the players' discipline and strengthening the squad. Things didn't go exactly to plan in Sir Alex's first few years at United, but his signing of Eric Cantona for a bargin GBP1.2million in 1992 helped to secure their first League trophy in 26 years. An incredible run of success followed, shaped by the emergence of Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Nicky Butt. And Fergie's finest moment was still to come - in 1999, when Manchester United romped to an unprecedented Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies. He was knighted the same year for his services to football. Under Sir Alex, United have been Premier League champions 12 times, surpassing arch-rivals Liverpool's league title haul in the process, and have reached four Champions League finals, winning the trophy on two occasions. This in-depth biography charts the unstoppable rise of the Premier League's longest-serving manager.