Sir Alex: 'I won't last forever, but Jose [Mourinho] can manage anywhere'

The day is coming, of course, when the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson steps down and retires. Until that day -- when presumably, only when the great man knows -- it's left for us and the world football fans to speculate on who will take over Manchester United when he steps away. This community, though, has certainly voiced their preference for Sir Alex's successor. One of the names discussed is former Chelsea manager and current Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho -- it's certainly been contentious at times between United and the Portuguese man but he's undoubtedly a great manager and also one that Fergie respects and gets on with well. In a recent interview with ITV, here's what Sir Alex had to say about Mourinho:

"He can manage anywhere, absolutely. I'm not going to put any forecasts on what is going to happen at this club. I won't last forever, but Jose can manage anywhere, there is no question about that. I would never think a guy who hasn't played a game could be a top coach, but then you've got to look at his personality, I think his personality does it. He's got a marvelous, strong personality and I think that bridges that gap. That's incredible (his trophy haul). How old is he now? Fiftieth year. So he is 20 years behind me. At the same rate he is going to add another 42 trophies. At the current rate, (that is) amazing isn't it? I remember his first press conference (at Chelsea). He was telling the players, 'Look, I'm the Special One, we don't lose games'. Bloody hell, coming to England, he is only a young man and saying he is the Special One! But what it did, it told all the players to have the belief they were going to win the league."

- Ferguson

Mourinho is most definitely a polarizing figure and one that seems more likely, by the day, to be leaving Madrid at season's end. The man to take over for Fergie will not have an easy job as he'll be the man to take over for the greatest manager in club football's history. Perhaps, though, the one man who could succeed in that scenario is a man with the ego and confidence of 'the special one'. We're blessed as United fans now with Ferguson at the helm and with the stability and continual trophies he brings. The day is coming soon, though, when he'll step down as manager and it'll certainly be a transitional state for the club and it's supporters. A new man will step to the forefront soon and Fergie will certainly have an input as to who his successor will be -- will it Mourinho and if so, can he keep the trophies coming and keep United in yearly contention as the world's great football club?