Sir Alex Ferguson had zero doubts when naming the one Man Utd player he managed who could have played in ‘any era’

Sir Alex Ferguson was unequivocal in identifying the sole Manchester United player he managed who could have excelled in any era of football.

Ferguson held the managerial position at United for nearly 27 years, from 1986 to 2013, making him one of the longest-serving managers in the history of English football. During his tenure, he assembled numerous star-studded teams, initially focusing on elevating United from the lower half of the league to a position of regular trophy contention.

His early acquisitions included notable players such as Paul Ince, Gary Pallister, and Denis Irwin, all of whom joined the club prior to the formation of the Premier League by First Division teams.

In the mid to late 1990s, Ferguson welcomed talents like Eric Cantona, Andy Cole, and Roy Keane, followed by the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Wayne Rooney in the subsequent decade.

Additionally, United’s exceptional youth development program produced the renowned ‘Class of 92,’ with key figures like Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and Ryan Giggs playing crucial roles in the club’s achievements over the next 10 to 20 years.

Among all the exceptional players under his management, Ferguson firmly believed that Rooney had the potential to thrive in any era of professional football.

Speaking to the official United programme about Rooney in 2016, the Scot explained (via Sky Sports): “I always think that great players can play in any era. Bobby Charlton would have been a great player today.

“Wayne Rooney would have been a great player back then.”

“He was an exciting signing [in 2004],” Ferguson said. “It was fairly shortly after I’d got rid of the idea of retiring and changed my mind. I had to rethink about how we were going to take the club forward.

“Once I decided to stay, I started thinking again and it was really centred around bringing energy back into the team by looking at young players.”

Ferguson hinted at another United star who could have made it in another era: “Of course, there was Cristiano Ronaldo, then there was Rooney, and it was a fantastic period. The two of them were unbelievable.

“Wayne came in as a first team player right away, even though he was only 18. And he’s gone on to play for Manchester United for 12 years, which is very difficult in the present day.”