Sir Alex Ferguson was in no doubt when naming the greatest football manager ever

Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson gave a surprise answer when revealing who he thinks is the greatest manager of all time.

Ferguson, 83, is without doubt the greatest manager to have managed in the Premier League, having won 13 English top-flight titles during his time as Manchester United boss.

Since Ferguson left United in 2013, Pep Guardiola of Manchester City has taken up the mantle of being the league’s most successful manager over the past decade.

Of course, the debate regarding the greatest manager of all time is heavily influenced by recency bias and what country one is from.

Liverpool supporters will no doubt claim Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley are in the conversation, Real Madrid fans will not be able to look past Carlo Ancelotti, while Barcelona and Dutch fans will argue that Johan Cruyff is the greatest.

Sir Alex Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles (Credit:Getty)

But who does Ferguson consider to be the greatest of them all?

Speaking back in 2017, the Scot revealed that former Celtic and Scotland boss Jock Stein was “one of the greatest managers of all time”.

Stein, who died aged 62 while coaching during a fixture between Scotland and Wales in 1985, was best known for his 1967 European Cup triumph with the Celtic team dubbed the ‘Lisbon Lions’ before going on to manage Leeds United and the Scottish national team.

Ferguson was Stein’s assistant and subsequently took over his role as head coach after his sudden death.

In an interview with the Scottish FA in 2015, Ferguson credited Stein and explained how he “loved” working with him.

Ferguson said: “My abiding experiences of working with him were when we used to meet up at the MacDonald hotel. He wasn’t a great sleeper, and he would sit there until 2 or 3 in the morning.

“I said to him ‘Jock, I’ve got to take the train in the morning’ he said ‘You’ll be alright son’ and would shout for another pot of tea. We’d be there until about 4 or 5 in the morning!

“I always remember quizzing him about the great Celtic team, and he would never take credit. It was wonderful to listen to a man who had achieved so much be so humble about it all.

“That was a great benefit to me as a young coach, and I thrived on it.

Jock Stein in 1985 (Credit:Getty)

“Of all the discussions we used to have at the MacDonald Hotel, I always remember him telling me about dealing with the press. He was very clever and a great networker. On the Friday night, he’d ask what’s happening and I’d tell him everything because he probably knew anyway.

“People with personality and a presence can fill a room and Jock would walk into a room and you could immediately see that. He knew everyone. It’s a great talent to have.

“He was unique and I really did love working for him. It was a privilege I had and it would give me gravitas to say that I’d worked with Jock Stein.”