Manchester United will today unveil a statue of manager, Sir Alex Ferguson at the entrance to the stand named after him a year ago at the historic Old Trafford stadium.
Sir Alex, who joined United in November 1986, is the Club’s longest serving and most successful manager, having already won 12 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, two Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, one Intercontinental Cup, one Cup Winners’ Cup, one Super Cup and 10 Charity/ Community Shields.
The statue is the work of renowned sculptor Philip Jackson, whose previous works have included Sir Matt Busby and the United Trinity at Old Trafford, Bobby Moore at Wembley Stadium, the Bomber Command memorial in Green Park, the Gurkha Monument in Horseguards Avenue, the Falklands War Sculpture in Portsmouth and Constantine the Great outside York Minster.
David Gill said, "Everyone knows the success Alex has achieved in the last 26 years. And everyone can talk eloquently about the great football teams he has built and the world class players he has developed and managed.
"But for me, as a fan, a colleague and a friend, the greatest thing he has brought back to this Club is respect. Respect for the staff; respect for the heritage and history of the Club and respect for the Manchester United way.
"This magnificent work by Philip Jackson will serve as a reminder – long after those of us who can tell the tales have gone – of what a fantastic influence Alex has been on this great Club."
Philip Jackson said, "I’ve tried to portray him as a man of great determination and as a thinking man, but also with humour which he has in abundance, so there’s just a slight smile in the corner of his mouth. That’s really what I wanted to portray."
The identity of the person unveiling the statue has been kept a closely-guarded secret – even from the Manager. During the ceremony to be conducted by Sky News presenter and United fan Eamonn Holmes, the assembled crowd and dignitaries will hear tributes to Sir Alex’s success and style from many prominent figures over his United career, including FIFA President Sepp Blatter, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and current United captain, Nemanja Vidic.
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