Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been offering support to the USA ahead of the World Cup.

The Times says Ferguson is one of a group of leading Premier League managers who have been offering assistance and support to the United States before their opening World Cup finals fixture against England.

Bob Bradley, the US head coach, has been a regular visitor to Manchester United's training ground in recent months, when he has watched England stalwarts such as Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand at close quarters.

"I have been in Europe a lot lately and I've had the chance to catch up with different people," he said. "I appreciated those opportunities, whether it was watching training sometimes or communicating about our players.

"Occasionally, there are some managers in England who subtly let me know they will be rooting for us that day. You can guess that they were not actually born in England. That's all part of it, I guess."

Bradley, who is 52 today, refused to confirm whether he was making specific reference to Ferguson, who is a proud Scotsman. "I've said too much," he said, with a laugh, but he has previously admitted to visiting United "at different times".