Alex Ferguson Retires From Manchester United; Beckham Says He Had 'Most Impact Ever'; Davis Moyes Is Favorite To Replace Him

Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of this season, Manchester United announced this morning, ending more than 25 years at the helm of the prestigious futból club, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has millions of fans around the world. 

The Knighted Sir Alex Ferguson has managed the club since 1986, leading Manchester United to 13 league championships, and more than 30 trophies overall.  

But the fiery Labour Party supporter has courted controversy within all that success, not the least of which was Ferguson's infamous run-in with star player, David Beckham. 

Despite that, Beckham said of Ferguson before his announcement this morning, "The impact that he has with the team, the players and the fans ... I don't think there's anyone around in football that has had that impact, ever." The two weren't always so cordial when Beckham played for the manager earlier in his career.

Beckham's pretty-boy looks and, as Ferguson would say, "hairdryer treatment" galled the rough and tumble Ferguson, and their disparate personalities came to a head earlier in the millennium. 

In 2003, a locker-room fracas between the manager and the internationally known mid-fielder resulted in an injury to Beckham after Ferguson kicked a boot that hit Beckham in the face.

Ferguson also publicly called out former Man U player and current Scottish National Team manager, Gordon Strachan, in his 1999 autobiography: Managing My Life, writing of Strachan, "I decided this man could not be trusted an inch - I would not want to expose my back to him in a hurry."

Strachan, for his part, failed to take the bait and would only say, in his own autobiography, My Life in Football, that Ferguson's  revelations "surprised and disappointed" him.  Strachan did not sue Ferguson under Britain's tough libel laws, and recently the pair have reportedly "patched things up."

According to the team, Ferguson will bow out after the club's final game of the season, away against West Bromwich Albion, on May 16. Before that final appearance he'll have one more game at Old Trafford, the Sunday before against Swansea City. 

It's still not clear who the club will choose to replace the legend, but British oddsmakers say that Everton manager, David Moyes, is the favorite, since he possesses the same passion for excellence during his 11 years at Goodison Park.

Said Ferguson about the announcement:

"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time. It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so."

He also took time to appreciate all the people who have worked with and for him at Man U, saying thanks to all the "players and staff, past and present for a staggering level of professional conduct and dedication that has helped to deliver so many memorable triumphs. Without their contribution the history of this great club would not be as rich."