David Gill: Ferguson's successor will have to follow in his footsteps

Following the 25th anniversary celebrations last week, Gill admitted today that he dreads the day that he will have to replace Sir Alex Ferguson and had said the search for a successor has yet to begin.

One thing is clear, that the new manager, whenever he may come, will have to follow Sir Alex Ferguson in running the club the Manchester United way

“We are a great club whose values go back in history to our heritage to the 50s and 60s and the last 25 years with Alex. To continue with that, the new manager needs to understand those values and the vision for the club and must buy into that”

“Alex’s legacy to United is to my mind very clear – delivering an unprecedented period of success in the Manchester United way. By that, I mean attractive football using young players – both homegrown and buying players when necessary like Ronaldo and Rooney, but actually developing our own players. That record is there for everyone to see and that legacy is very clear also”