In England, it's a rare thing to see a player smoking but, all in all, I prefer that to an alcoholic. The relationship with alcohol is a real problem in English football and, in the short term, it's much more harmful to a sportsman. It weakens the body, which becomes more susceptible to injury.

It was not the first time that Ferguson had been linked with a move to England. Two weeks later he won his 100th game in the Champions League with a 1–0 win over Galatasaray at Old Trafford. Ferguson added Nottingham Forest's 22-year-old midfielder Roy Keane to the ranks for a British record fee of £3.

In 2008 he became the third British manager to win the European Cup on more than one occasion after Brian Clough and Bob Paisley. Ferguson previously managed East Stirlingshire and St. He was knighted in 1999 for his services to the game and also holds the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen.