Sir Alex Ferguson gives cup finalists pep talk at Carrington, but it's not Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson visited Sale Sharks over the weekend to give the rugby union side a pep talk ahead of their upcoming Premiership final.

The former Manchester United boss was at Sale's training ground, which neighbours United's Carrington complex, around a mile away from the football training ground.

He was invited by head coach Alex Sanderson to speak to the players ahead of the game at Twickenham this Saturday, which will mark their first since 2006.

Ferguson obliged, and gave what were said to have been "words of wisdom" to the players.

Manchester United's website ran a feature on the day and included a video of the 81-year-old speaking to Sale's players.

While Ferguson is not thought to be too much of a rugby fan, he reportedly attended his first match at Sale six years ago and seemed to connect with the players straight away.

He was seen joking with the team about United's 1996 FA Cup final against Liverpool and the squad's infamous pre-match suits.

“To lose, you don't want to lose,” he said. “I wish you all the best on Saturday.

“The thing is, I'm telling you, don't wear a white suit for Christ's sake. Concentration - you're not there to enjoy it, you're there to win.”

Sale will take on Saracens in the match and are up against it according to most, but anything can happen in a one-off game and the second-placed side will fancy their chances.

Sir Alex Ferguson giving a speech

Ferguson has long retired from football management but is still seen regularly at Manchester United games as he cheers on the team he took to 13 Premier League titles.

His presence is still felt around Old Trafford, though the atmosphere has been negative at the ground in recent months as fans continue to call for a sale of the club and the removal of the Glazer family. Cough cough, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Time will tell if the talk paid off.