Sir Alex Ferguson has confessed there are moments when he longs to be back in the Manchester United dugout. The iconic boss stepped down 12 years ago, yet his desire to help steer the club remains.

Ferguson secured 13 Premier League crowns, five FA Cups and celebrated two Champions League victories, among other trophies, throughout his remarkable 26-year reign at Old Trafford. In 2013, he guided United to their 20th league title before drawing the curtain on his illustrious career.

It's likely that Ferguson would have always experienced moments when he yearned to stay involved at United. However, the club's issues under Ruben Amorim and his predecessors in the post-Ferguson years can only have fuelled the Scotsman's occasional longing to be in charge of the Red Devils.

"People don't seem to realise, I've been retired 12 years, you know," Ferguson told the BBC when questioned whether he was ever enticed to return to football management.

"I picked the right time - I thought, at the time. Sometimes you watch the games and you think, 'I wish I was back in there for five minutes.' You know what I mean, but it is what it is."

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He continued: "I had a great career. I was a manager for 39 years. From 32 years of age to 71."

Ferguson claimed an extraordinary 28 major honours, excluding the Community Shield, during his spell at United. The club has found it challenging to replicate the success achieved under Ferguson, with Amorim being the sixth permanent manager since the legendary Scot's retirement.

Amorim nearly clinched the Europa League title in his early days at the helm, only to be defeated by Tottenham Hotspur in the final. The Red Devils had previously lifted the trophy under Jose Mourinho in 2017 and were runners-up four years later under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, losing to Villarreal in a penalty shootout.

However, even if Amorim had won the Europa League and secured a Champions League spot, it wouldn't have disguised United's poor league performance. The team ended up 15th in the table, their worst position since returning to the top-flight in 1975.

Despite splashing out over £200million in the summer transfer window to bolster the squad, United have failed to live up to expectations this season. They've managed to scrape together just four points from four league matches and suffered an embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby.

While Sir Alex might wish he could still influence United's fortunes from the dugout, the 83-year-old now has a new focus. He serves as an ambassador for the Playlist for Life charity, promoting the benefits of familiar music for people living with dementia—a cause close to his heart.

"I have a situation myself, with my brother [Martin]," he explained to BBC Sport. "It's not easy. I have to be in touch with him a lot. He recognises me [but] the memory's not great.

"But he's not bad. He's not getting any worse, let's put it that way, which is very encouraging."

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