Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho shared a close working relationship and a notable level of mutual respect for each other.
Two of the greatest managers the Premier League has seen became rivals when the Portuguese guided his Porto side to a stunning knockout of Manchester United in the Champions League in 2004.
Mourinho subsequently joined Chelsea and won two Premier League titles with the Blues before Ferguson’s United regained domestic dominance in 2006/07 – sparking a run of three titles.
There was a cordial and respectful relationship between the two managers in what stood as a clear contrast to the pair’s run-ins with other rivals over the years such as Rafael Benitez and Arsene Wenger.
Yet Mourinho later explained that during his two-and-a-half year stint in the Old Trafford dugout – years after Ferguson’s retirement – the Scot only offered him one piece of advice in the role.
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Ferguson advised the Portuguese to make a pursuit to sign midfielder Dele Alli from Tottenham, as he believed he ticked all the boxes for what United needed.
Ferguson, who became a director at Old Trafford prior to Mourinho’s 2016 appointment, gave him "one piece of advice" during his United tenure, which was to swoop for the Spurs playmaker.
Alli’s first game against United was as a teenager for MK Dons in the now infamous 4-0 League Cup defeat in 2014.
Then aged 18, Alli was the star for the Dons as they hammered a second-string United side, then under the management of Louis van Gaal.
That clearly made a lasting impression on Ferguson, whose instinct on Alli was further enhanced by his rise to stardom for both Tottenham and England.
Mourinho revealed in the Amazon Prime documentary which covered his first season in North London in the 2019/20 campaign that Ferguson advised him to move for the midfielder.
Mourinho explained: "Sir Alex Ferguson gave me one piece of advice in two-and-a-half years [at United]. Buy Dele Alli.
"That guy, with that mentality, the aggression he has in his mind, this guy is a Manchester United player.
"And he has a good eye for a player, but he is not a good trainer and we need to find the right motivation for him.
"I told Dele very directly he doesn't train well. I'm not saying a disaster, but I'm not saying he is like Harry Kane."
Things did not work out for Alli at Spurs under Mourinho, nor his successors in the role Nuno Espirito Santo nor Antonio Conte.
He has now joined Everton on a two-and-a-half year contract, becoming the first permanent signing at Goodison Park under Frank Lampard.
Alli shares a similar playing style to Lampard’s career, of timing his runs into the box and offering a goal scoring threat from midfield.
Lampard acted upon Ferguson’s advice to Mourinho and will now look to resurrect the 25-year-old’s career after his stint in North London stagnated.
