Norwich City boss Alex Neil admits he prepared for a debut Premier League season by pumping Sir Alex Ferguson for information.

He had a long, pre-season talk with Manchester United icon Ferguson, the most successful manager of the modern era.

Neil told the Sunday Mirror: “Alex Ferguson has been the best over the course of time. We had a real good chat about things in general and the difference between moving up levels. We talked about adapting and how to cope. He started coaching when he was young at East ­Stirling.

“The game may have moved on since then – but the ­principles remain the same."