Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson plays down talk of retirement

Sir Alex Ferguson has played down talk on an imminent retirement at Manchester United, insisting he wants to stay at Old Trafford for “a bit of time”.

Ferguson, who turned 71 on Monday, had been tipped to be considering calling time on his illustrious Red Devils career, with Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola touted as possible replacements for the Scot.

But the Manchester United boss has moved to quash suggestions he is close to retiring.

“I’m hoping to stay on for a bit of time,” said Ferguson.

Ferguson admits that finding the right replacement for him will be a tough challenge.

“It’s very difficult,” he continued. “Over the years, names have been bandied about but football is such a precarious industry.

“But you could be talking about one of the potentially exciting young managers in the game, but is he going to be here in two or three years’ time? The sack race is horrendous.

“Sometimes a manager can only survive four games if he doesn’t win a match.

“Top managers will always been in demand but nobody knows where they are going to be in two or three years’ time.”