5 best Scottish managers of all time

#2 Sir Alex Ferguson

Ferguson with the trophy he regularly brought back to Old Trafford

Very little has to be said about Ferguson’s huge achievements in football. He’s frequently hailed as the greatest manager of all time and such claims are entirely merited. He dominated first Scottish football and then English football with Aberdeen and famously with Manchester United.

In his home country, Ferguson completely dismantled the Celtic and Rangers monopoly on the league title, winning three league titles between 1980 and 1985. He also superbly guided the unfancied side to the 1983 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, beating the heavy favourites Real Madrid 1-0 in the final.

Manchester United, naturally, came calling based on these remarkable successes but Ferguson initially struggled down in England; indeed, he was within one game of getting sacked in 1990, when an FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace effectively saved his job.

The rest, as they say, is history. 13 Premier League titles, a further 4 FA Cups, 4 League Cups, and 2 Champions League triumphs. Ferguson stated his desire, much like Shankly before him, to take his club to the pinnacle of English football, and he did so immensely. Manchester United are the global icon they are now wholly because of his powerful presence over twenty incredible years.

It was fitting, then, when Ferguson retired from management firmly at the top, guiding Manchester United to the 2013 league title. The Scotsman sadly suffered a brain haemorrhage only a few weeks ago, but of course, battled it successfully and is now thankfully in recovery; a titan both in and out of football.