Alex Ferguson will 'probably' become director at Manchester United when he retires Sir Alex Ferguson will "probably" become a Manchester United director when he steps down as the club's manager. The 71-year-old Scot, who took up the reins at Old Trafford in 1986, had planned to retire in 2002, but had a change of heart and has not looked back since. There's no getting rid of me. I will probably become a director," said Ferguson, who has guided the Red Devils to a host of titles including 12 Premier League crowns, two Champions League trophies and five FA Cups. Speaking about his retirement day in an interview with new twentyfour7 Football magazine, quoted in The Sun, Ferguson said: "Nobody knows. Neither do I. It won't be a doctor that tells me to quit! On the topic of appointing his successor, he said: "They'll ask me. But I think it'll be a club decision, not mine.