A tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson from an Arsenal fan:

We all knew this day would come eventually, but Fergie has managed to keep going every year. He had started to give off an air of invincibility and we all just thought he would carry on. But Sir Alex has gone.

Fergie is the dad of the Premier League. He has an air of authority, having been the longest manager and he has taught English football so much over his 26 years. He is responsible for thousands of teenagers making decent football careers for themselves. He encourages them to keep quiet, respectful private lives (aside from the odd couple of players in recent years).

He has the discipline levels of a dad. I bet every manager in the Premier League would love to possess his fire and passion. What he gets from his teams every year in terms of performance is something else. No matter what the end result of a season, United always show consistency and there is bundles of morale and team spirit.

He builds a family in his team. They all get on and despite his infamous ‘hairdryer’ treatment and occasional boot throwing, Fergie has always had the utmost respect from his players. When they cross the line with him, they got sold and Fergie never looks back. He is fearless. In the past, when he has sold his best players, there was a certainty that he would regret it. But he never does. He is always willing to admit when he made a mistake on a player, as well as taking huge risks when he needs to.

Alex Ferguson spent 26 years at Manchester United and by the end of his reign, he will have been in charge for 1500 games. In that time, he has won 894 games and 38 trophies, which is phenomenal. He has provided the Premier League with many years of quality football, great footballers and classy trophy wins, making Manchester United one of the most envied and disliked teams

He has beaten almost every record and achieved so much in his time at United. When you think of the teams and players he has produced over the years, you can see the obvious affect his presence has on the league, not to mention the fierce rivalries, his relationship with referee’s and journalists and of course the infamous ‘Fergie Time’.

I have spent my childhood growing up watching this man on the sidelines. I have seen what he has achieved as manager and it is nothing short of legendary. As a Gooner, there have been moments when I have hated Fergie alongside everyone who isn’t a Manchester United fan. But all jokes aside I highly respect the man, I am gutted that there won’t be just one more Wenger v Fergie battle to observe.

Not only is it a sad day for Manchester United fans, it is a sad day for football. We say goodbye to one of the greatest managers this country has ever seen and I’m not sure anyone will ever live up to the legendary status of Sir Fergie. Whether you love him or hate him the Premier League just wont be the same without him.

Thank you Sir Fergie, for all those years of contribution to football. Be proud of what you achieved because you really are the best!

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