Rio tips Boss to stay on

Sir Alex Ferguson may have intimated that he will step down as United manager within the next three years, but Rio Ferdinand disagrees.

Although the Reds' manager is approaching 70, United and England defender Ferdinand cannot envisage how Sir Alex would cope without life at Carrington.

“I don’t think he’ll leave in two or three years," he told Sky Sports News. "I think his passion for the game will overtake everything else.

"The manager loves football. He eats, breathes and every minute of the day is thinking and talking about it, so I can’t see him leaving.”

Sir Alex previously announced his intention to retire in 2002, but reversed his decision after consulting his family.

However, he recently admitted: "I deserve a rest. I have also got to respect my wife too, because she's suffering. She's not a football fan, she's an Alex Ferguson fan."