Manchester United legend Gary Neville has hailed the innovation of manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Neville wrote in his column for the Mail on Sunday: "He has regenerated teams every three to five years, has never been afraid to take big decisions to nip problems in the bud and even in this modern era, with bigger squads and player power, he remains in absolute control.

"He can also diffuse any potentially difficult situation. I remember the day I retired. I went in to his office to say I was finished. He replied: 'Typical Neville. Over-emotional. Go to Dubai. I'll see you in two weeks.'

"People forget how many innovations he started. Squad rotation, having four strikers, playing different teams in the League and the FA Cup - he did all that in the early 1990s and was slaughtered for it, before everyone followed his example."