Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the greatest football manager of all time, and he had a special appreciation for Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
In his 27 years in charge at Manchester United, Ferguson worked with superstar attackers Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and Wayne Rooney, and also brought through academy talents such as David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.
Sir Alex Ferguson's Man Utd honours
Trophy
Premier League
Champions League
FA Cup
League Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
UEFA Super Cup
European Cup Winners' Cup
Intercontinental Cup
Community Shield
The legendary manager is one of the most respected voices in football, and when asked to rank his greatest players of all time he placed Maradona ahead of the likes of Pele, Lionel Messi and his former student Ronaldo.
Indeed, only Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano rank above Argentina's 1986 World Cup winner according to Fergie, and the maverick midfiedler is widely regarded as one of the best to ever do it.
diego-maradona-argentina
His legacy is perhaps even greater in Naples than it is back home however, as he is immortalised for winning Napoli their first Scudetto in 1986-87.
Following a second title in 1989-90, Gli Azzurri then went over three decades without another title before being crowned kings of Italy again in 2022/23 and 2024/25, and Maradona's son has now heaped praise on a man who was instrumental in their most recent triumph.
Diego Maradona's son says Scott McTominay is next in line to his father
Indeed, speaking about current Napoli superstar Scott McTominay, Maradona's son, Diego Junior, has claimed if his father was "God" then the former Manchester United academy graduate is "Jesus".
Napoli's Scott McTominay during the warm up before the match-1
“After my father, McTominay is the most decisive player in the history of Napoli. We had God at Napoli in the form of Diego, but for me McTominay is Jesus. He is a completely fundamental player.”
McTominay was nominated for the Ballon d'Or for his role in Napoli's most recent title win, as he scored 12 times in the Serie A season, but if Sir Alex got his way he might never have left Old Trafford.
"Scott McTominay is now emerging as one of Man United's big players," Ferguson said back in 2021. "When you watch Man United pick their team for a big game, McTominay's name is in it. He's a good character, a great trainer. I know a little bit about the boy and I think that's the background."
The Scotland international, who this summer will play in his first World Cup and his nation's first since 1998, left United in 2024 for around £25m and has undoubtedly blossomed into one of the best midfielders in world football.