Back to the Manchester United Newsfeed

"A rival, a colleague and a friend"

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has paid a heartfelt tribute to his old adversary at Arsenal, Arsene Wenger.

The two bosses oversaw some titanic battles between 1996 and 2013, including one of the greatest games in FA Cup history - the 1999 semi-final replay at Villa Park. Wenger announced on Friday morning that he is stepping down at the end of the season, after 22 years in the job.

"I am really happy for Arsene Wenger," Sir Alex told ManUtd.com. "I have great respect for him and for the job he has done at Arsenal.