Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has jumped to the defence of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

In a leaflet being delivered to all 40,000 households in the Glenrothes constituency, the Manchester United manager argued the Prime Minister "deserves support" while he deals with the current economic turmoil.

Sir Alex, a lifelong Labour supporter, wrote: "I always tell players entering the game that being a footballer is the best job in the world.

"Yes, it's hard work to reach the top - but not as hard as bringing up a family or running a household on a tight budget.

"With all that is happening in the global economy, clearly there are some challenging times ahead."

He added: "But the Labour government under Gordon Brown has handled the situation well, and deserves support at this difficult time."

Ferguson was giving his support in the Glenrothes by-election for Lindsay Roy, the Labour candidate.