Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he can feel Sir Alex Ferguson's legacy at the club every day, as the Dutchman celebrates his predecessor’s induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
Ferguson is one of the first two 2023 Hall of Fame inductees, alongside former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, and fans will be able to vote for three players to join them when the 15-man shortlist is announced at 10:00 BST on Thursday.
Vote for players to enter Hall of Fame
In an exclusive interview, Ten Hag says of Ferguson: “You feel it every day because he left a legacy and Manchester United is Alex Ferguson.
“He set the highest standards, the highest values, and brought the winning attitude. He built that in the club… and that is the standard that you must face if you want to play for Manchester United or work for Manchester United.
“First of all, he knew when to rebuild and reconstruct a new team because he did it over two decades and every time he was successful. He did it with a balance of homegrown players and bringing big stars in.
“He got the best out of it, like working with Eric Cantona, working with [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Robin] van Persie, Wayne Rooney.
“That is huge if you are able to handle those personalities, but also to let them play as a team. That was always one of his most important qualities - that the team is always above any individual. It's difficult to construct one winning team. He did it so many times!”
See: Ferguson: My expectation was always to win
Ten Hag has benefited from Ferguson’s insight and experience as the Dutchman targets another era of success at Old Trafford.
“His experience is huge, so with all the knowledge he can help you with, he can,” says Ten Hag.
“I'm really pleased that he wants to share his knowledge with me. It's great to talk and learn from him, and I hope we can do it more often.”
Also in this series
Part 1: Ferguson and Wenger inducted into Premier League Hall of Fame
Part 2: Ferguson: my expectation was always to win
Part 3: Wenger: I pursued perfection at Arsenal
Part 5: Arteta: Wenger vision was bigger than any other manager
Part 6: Ferguson's incredible stats as he enters Hall of Fame
Part 7: Wenger's incredible stats as he enters Hall of Fame