Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson places application above talent when looking at players.

He explained to L'Equipe: "I like to see a part of my personality in the players. Every manager is like that. It's reassuring.

"At Aberdeen the players looked so much like me. Here, it's in Bryan Robson that I found me the most. He was a manager playing football. What intelligence.

"It's rare that players respect my tactical wishes throughout the heat of the game.

"It's why I have always taken young players and never neglected the local players. So they can understand the United challenge.

"I prefer a player who can have a bad day but works like a madman more than a naturally-gifted player. I will give more time to the first one to improve because I know he will try and try. Roy Keane was like that. He maybe didn't have the potential but he became an absolute Manchester United player.

"He strangled the life out of his opponents. He raised his game. Cristiano Ronaldo is another example. He had talents but above that I believed in his mental strength.

"In three or four years, he has become the best player in the world. Their success is the success of a club that has given them the right values."