Ferguson plans to be future United director

The 71-year-old Scot, who took up the reins at Old Trafford in 1986, had planned to retire in 2002, but had a change of heart and has not looked back since.

"There's no getting rid of me. I will probably become a director," said Ferguson, who has guided the Red Devils to a host of titles including 12 Premier League crowns, two Champions League trophies and five FA Cups.

Speaking about his retirement day in an interview with new twentyfour7 Football magazine, quoted in The Sun, Ferguson said: "Nobody knows. Neither do I. It won't be a doctor that tells me to quit!"

On the topic of appointing his successor, he said: "They'll ask me. But I think it'll be a club decision, not mine."

Speaking to the wider media ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter with Norwich at Old Trafford, Ferguson expanded on his theories, arguing that the Red Devils are working towards what he believes is the "brilliant" Bayern Munich model by installing Sir Bobby Charlton as a director and a number of former players - including Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole and Gary Neville - as ambassadors.

"That's a long time away (being a director at the club), I hope," he said.

"The role Bobby Charlton has played at the club has been fantastic.

"He has been a tremendous support to the manager and a lot of the players.

"I think Bayern Munich is the perfect model.

"It's no problem having a replica of that for this club who have had so many great players over the years and who are now ambassadors now like Andy Cole, Bryan Robson, Peter Schmeichel.

"There are quite a few of them here now and that's a role we should be using as well."