Sir Alex Ferguson is possibly the most influential figure in British football history. The iconic Scottish manager found great success with not only Manchester United, but also Aberdeen. Fergie is still the last manager to defeat Real Madrid in a European final, doing so with the Dons in 1983.
His most notorious spell in the dugout, however, came during his time in England's top-flight. He initially joined Manchester United in the First Division before completely dominating the Premier League from 1992 to 2013. Ferguson managed some of the finest players the division has ever seen during his 20+ year stint at Old Trafford.
From long-term captain Roy Keane to Ballon d'Or-winning Cristiano Ronaldo, the Scot has guided the biggest figures in the history of the game to a staggering 13 Premier League titles. Ferguson was so influential that the Red Devils are yet to recover from his departure 12 years ago.
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Sir Alex Ferguson on 'Influential' Steven Gerrard
'He is now where Keane was when Roy came to us in 1994'
When it came to praising his own players, Ferguson rarely hesitated. However, waxing lyrical about those who plied their trade for a rival club didn't come as naturally to the ex-Aberdeen boss.
His relationship with Liverpool hero Steven Gerrard has been up-and-down over the years. In fact, Ferguson once made the huge claim that the English midfielder wasn't a 'top, top player'. This contrasts with the previous comments he'd made expressing his admiration for the box-to-box midfielder.
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In the early 2000s, with Ferguson's reliable captain Keane coming towards the twilight years of his playing career, United were faced with the prospect of replacing the Irishman who had run the rule over Old Trafford for almost a decade. Per Sky Sports, Ferguson knew exactly who the man for the job would be in an ideal world:
"If you were looking for the player you would replace Keane with, it's Gerrard, without question.
"He has become the most influential player in England, bar none."
The other top midfielder in the Premier League at the time was Arsenal juggernaut Patrick Vieira. Ferguson made sure not to insult the Frenchman but also considered Gerrard the better player: "Not that Vieira lacks anything, but I think that Gerrard does more for his team than Vieira does."
Continuing to lavish praise on Manchester United's biggest rival, Ferguson added: "To me, Gerrard is Keane; he is now where Keane was when Roy came to us in 1994. I've watched him quite a lot, and everywhere the ball is, he seems to be there. He's got that unbelievable engine, desire, determination. Anyone would take Gerrard."