Erik ten Hag says he can feel the legacy Sir Alex Ferguson left behind at Manchester United every day as he congratulated the club icon on entering the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The great man joins Arsenal hero Arsene Wenger as the first two managers to be bestowed the honour, which recognises the greatest figures in Premier League history. Sir Alex lifted an unbeaten 13 titles during his 26-year stay at Old Trafford, winning 528 matches and watching his side score 1,627 goals, both of which are also records.
Ten Hag has paid tribute to Sir Alex, whom he invited into the Wembley dressing room to join in Carabao Cup celebrations last month. The Scot said he was “truly delighted” to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, describing it as an "honour".
READ MORE: Sir Alex praises Erik ten Hag in rare TV interview
Speaking about the presence Sir Alex still retains around the club, Ten Hag said: “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.”
Ten Hag went on to unpack how Sir Alex established himself as the Premier League's most successful manager ever.
He added: “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 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 over 26 years!”
A number of former players also hailed the work of Sir Alex, including Paul Scholes - who himself is included in the Hall of Fame. “The thing that was massive at the start of every season was Sir Alex’s hunger and desire,” he said.
“If you didn't have that, he could sense that straight away and you were gone. So to reproduce that year on year was something he was brilliant at doing. And he was a winner. He needed to win.
“To compare Sir Alex to other managers is difficult. I think he's out there on his own, winning 13 Premier League titles and rebuilding teams in the way he had to over such a long period of time is a massive thing.
“Until anybody gets close or goes past him, he will be the greatest manager that the Premier League has ever seen. I don't see how that can ever be beaten.”
Rio Ferdinand described Sir Alex as “an animal” when it came to work ethic, adding: “When you look back at his age, how long he'd been at the club – his appetite for the game, his appetite for rebuilding a team… it was crazy.
"Even in the last year of his time at Man United, he's coming in earlier than everyone else. This guy is just relentless. He's relentless year after year. But that's the addiction to winning. That's the addiction to building great things.”
Peter Schmeichel, also a Hall of Famer, paid testament to the character of Sir Alex. “I would say he's one of the nicest people I've ever worked with,” he explained. “He paid an interest in me, my life, my family.
“He knew everything about my family before I arrived. He kept himself informed. For instance, if I needed to go back and see my parents, it was never a problem. He was so understanding in every aspect. It was absolutely fantastic.”
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