Sir Alex Ferguson says being given the time to build a serious youth system at the club was the key to it's long-term success.

Ferguson recalls in the Manchester United Opus: "The trouble is that a lot of managers aren't given time to build a youth policy.

"It's only the clubs who have a board who trust the manager enough like Arsenal with Arsene Wenger who show that patience. So you need people to understand what you're trying to do.

"I remember saying to the United board on my first day: `Do you know what you're getting? You're looking at my record at Aberdeen, but what I did there, and at St Mirren, was build a football club.

"The underlying message was that it would take time. Bobby Charlton understood and said straightaway: "That's why we want you here."

"Whether he was speaking for the others, I don't know. In fairness to the chairman, Martin Edwards, he supported me as well.

"I got everything I asked for on the youth side, more and more scouts, all needing to be paid expenses. I must say he was a good chairman."

Producing youngsters who could seriously challenge the seniors finally gave Ferguson a motivating tool he'd used in Scotland, particularly, at Aberdeen when they broke the Old Firm domination of Celtic and Rangers north of the border. <

"I've always believed in it," Ferguson says. "The worst thing for a footballer is to lose his place to a younger player.

"To have young players challenging is the best form of competition within a football club. I remember when we had an FA Cup replay against Queens Park Rangers in London and I decided to play several of the young ones, it was interesting that Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside and Gordon Strachan all wanted to come and watch the game with us. <

"I asked my assistant Archie Knox what he thought and he said: "They're obviously a bit worried. They're starting to wonder what's going on. So I decided to take them to Loftus Road. All the injured first-team players travelled and they saw a fantastic performance in a 2-2 draw."

"There is nothing more healthy in a football club than that competitive relationship between the younger and older players."

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