Sir Alex Ferguson has heaped praise on the Manchester United Football Club for giving him time to prove himself as a manager.
The Scot took over at Old Trafford in 1986 and has since gone on to be one of the most successful managers in football history but instead of taking all the plaudits himself, Ferguson has spoken out about United being patient with him as he got things off the ground 25 years ago.
"When I arrived, my greatest challenge was to go back to the successes of the past, the time of Matt Busby, " he explained.
"Obviously it takes time. At first I was not prepared for this change: I had to start from scratch, creating the foundations of a football club.
"I was very conscious of this, but I could not change my philosophy, I could not give up the ideas I believed.
"So I started like I did at Aberdeen, with young players. It gives enormous pleasure to prepare a young man and see him play in the Premier League, then in the national team, following his growth.
"I am fortunate to have worked with Bobby Charlton, he had been before me and knew what really was Manchester United.
"He fully supported my desire to grow young talent from the beginning. His unconditional support was my luck in England where, as elsewhere in the world, if you lose three games you're out.
"I could work on the foundation, then gradually came all the champions who everyone knows. And then came our first trophy."
