Manchester United legend Steve Bruce has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson's going away present for him - an old scouting report.

A year after he took over at United, Fergie signed Bruce from Norwich for £800,000.

And he revealed to the Sunday Mirror: "The report pre-dated Fergie's time at the club, but being him - meticulous in every aspect of the job - he had kept all the scouts' reports going back years.

"When I left United I wasn't expecting a gold watch or a carriage clock, but instead he handed me an old document from his files and said, 'I think you had better have this.'

"It was a scout's report on me, from an old Third Division game when I was playing for Gillingham against Chesterfield, and it still raises a smile now.

"On the form it said, 'Bright sunny day... Bruce picked up a facial injury and moved into midfield, where he can't play... He is weak, no left foot, one-paced...'

"And they were the complimentary bits.

"The report concluded, 'In my opinion, the Third Division is his level... he will make a decent living at this standard... but not good enough for Manchester United.'

"That was my leaving present from Sir Alex, and I couldn't just tuck it away in a drawer. As a reminder of what I managed to achieve as a player, I framed it and hung it in the smallest room in the house.

"Within three years of that scout's assessment of my cultured left foot, I was playing for the biggest club in the world.

"I like to think it shows how far you can go in this business with a bit of hard graft.

"To be fair, I was never blessed with any great ability, but I was captain of a great team. After Danny ­Blanchflower and Frank McLintock, I was the first English captain to do the Double in the 20th century with Manchester United in 1994. I never played for England, but that makes up for it a little bit."