Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the greatest manager in the history of the game. Across a career that spanned four decades, his greatest successes began with Aberdeen, ending the duopoly of Rangers and Celtic while winning the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
Then came Manchester United. A sleeping giant, the Old Trafford side needed a figure to rejuvenate them. Fergie was the perfect candidate. It took a while, but after winning the FA Cup in 1990, the trophies flowed like fine wine.
In the end, he won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League crowns and a host of other cups.
Perhaps his greatest legacy is that so many of those who played under him eventually took to management themselves. We have taken a look into those who followed in his footsteps, ranked by their relative success in the dugout.
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1 ByAlex CapleMay 25, 2024 3 Mark Hughes Manager on the Premier League and international stage
Mark Hughes didn’t finish his playing career until 2002, yet he was given the Wales job in 1999 aged just 36. In his five years in charge, Wales came close to qualifying for Euro 2004, losing to Russia in a play-off.
A solid stint at Blackburn Rovers saw the club finish sixth in the top flight, securing qualification for the UEFA Cup, with a seventh-place finish coming in 2007/08, his last year in charge.
Failed spells at Manchester City, Fulham and QPR suggested his managerial career was destined to come to an end, but his spell at Stoke City proved otherwise.
Three successive top-half finishes with the Potters ensured they were consistent enough, yet they ended up being relegated at the end of the 2017/18 season. Hughes had departed a few months earlier.
He has been without a job since leaving Bradford City in 2023.
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ByJack Salveson HolmesOct 26, 2023 2 Gordon Strachan Achieved major success in Scotland
Fiery ginger winger Gordon Strachan played under Fergie at Aberdeen and Man Utd, before ending his playing career with a spell at Leeds United, helping them win the old First Division in 1992.
He took charge of Coventry City in 1996, initially as a player-manager, before making a full-time switch to the dugout the following year. Despite finishes of 15th and 14th in the top flight, the Sky Blues were relegated in 2001.
Strachan then steered Southampton to the FA Cup final in 2003, but his greatest managerial spell came at Celtic. Three league titles, two League Cups and the Scottish Cup were the highlights.
Following a poor spell in charge of Middlesbrough, Strachan took over as Scotland manager, but he couldn’t lead the nation to a major tournament, resigning in 2017.
1 Laurent Blanc Success on the continent
Laurent Blanc may not have enjoyed the best of times at United, winning just one Premier League trophy as his playing career was coming to an end, but he made the transition to management rather seamlessly.
He led Bordeaux to second place in Ligue 1 during his first season in charge, before ending their wait for a league title in 2009, also leading the club to Coupe de la Ligue success in the process.
A two-year spell in charge of France saw the nation reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2012, with Blanc resigning shortly after.
He achieved dominance with Paris Saint-Germain between 2013 and 2016, winning three consecutive league titles along with a host of domestic cups, but the Champions League eluded them. Since then, he has had spells with Lyon, Al-Rayyan and current side Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, though he has not won a major honour since leaving France.
