Top 143 Quotes & Sayings by Alex Ferguson - Page 3

Everyone remembers Stuart Pearce as a determined, aggressive player, who played with great heart and enthusiasm that gave him a great career in the game.

I realized I was good at developing young people. Eventually I started to believe in young people. I think when you give a young person an opportunity, he always believes who gave him his first chance. You create a loyalty that lasts a lifetime.

They had Jan Venegoor of...whatever you call him.

He's fiery, he's competitive, ... I think it was an unfair booking, and Wayne reacts like this against injustice.

Wayne is truly blessed. He doesn't just have ability, he has a fire inside him.

He could start a row in an empty house.

If ever there was one player, anywhere in the world, that was made for Manchester United, it was Cantona. He swaggered in, stuck his chest out, raised his head and surveyed everything as though he was asking: 'I'm Cantona. How big are you? Are you big enough for me?'

He is improving all the time. He is only 21 and who knows what he is capable of. (on Cristiano Ronaldo)

We got anxious at the end of the weekend in our urgency to try to score the winning goal. Ended up playing far too many long balls forward. That style of play doesn't suit Manchester United. We must continue to play football and enjoy the game. If we do that, eventually things will come right for us.

I was doing all the coaching schools so that I'd be able to stay in the game, and I gave myself a chance by doing that. I was only an average player, could score a goal or two, that sort of thing, but I wasn't a Bobby Charlton or a Messi, or Ronaldo. There are very, very few really great players who have become great coaches.

I'm going to tell you the story about the geese which fly 5,000 miles from Canada to France.

Critics have always questioned whether players like Pele from the 50s could play today. Lionel Messi could play in the 1950s and the present day, as could Di Stefano, Pele, Maradona, Cruyff because they are all great players. Lionel Messi without question fits into that category.

I am such a bloody talented guy. I might go into painting or something like that.

If Chelsea drop points, the cat's out in the open. And you know what cats are like - sometimes they don't come home.

Well he's only 20. Without question, he's the best youngest player I've seen in my time... If he keeps developing and matures ? goodness knows what he will become. At the moment he's a breathe of fresh air. (on Wayne Rooney)

I never worried about teams who spend what they want to spend. It never bothered me. At the moment we have a lot of Middle Eastern owners, we have American owners of course, Russian owners. It never bothered me one bit. All I was concerned about was that we at United maintained our level of expectation, be competitive, be at the top part of the Premier League.

It's a conflict of parallels.

But there is always that unpredictability about a derby match and that's what it was today.

Look at me – it's taken 10 years off me today. It's these tablets, they're great!

He's a novice - he should keep his opinions to Japanese football

David impresses by his example on the field. He never stops running, he plays with supreme confidence, he always tries his hardest and he scores important goals. (on David Beckham)

He's a normal, likable, straightforward boy. (on David Beckham)

You can't do anything about them.