Sir Alex Ferguson retires as Manchester United manager after 26 years in charge, David Moyes tipped to take over Manchester United legend Clayton Blackmore reacts to news of the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. UPDATE: SIR Alex Ferguson will retire as Manchester United manager at the end of the season, with David Moyes in line to take up the daunting task of following him at Old Trafford. Premier League champions United announced yesterday that Ferguson was calling time on the most successful managerial reign in English football. The shock revelation led to a flurry of speculation about who would succeed him, with Everton manager Moyes widely tipped to replace his fellow Scottish boss in the Old Trafford hotseat -- possibly as soon as later today. Alex Ferguson when he first became manager of Manchester United. Former England captain David Beckham paid tribute to "father figure" Ferguson. "As I have said many times before the boss wasn't just the greatest and best manager I ever played under, he was also a father figure to me from the moment I arrived at the club at the age of 11 until the day I left," Beckham wrote on his Facebook page. British Prime Minister David Cameron and world football chief Sepp Blatter led other tributes to Ferguson. Cameron, a fan of Premier League strugglers Aston Villa, tweeted: "Sir Alex Ferguson's achievement at #MUFC has been exceptional. Hopefully his retirement will make life a little easier for my team. FIFA president Blatter said the football world may never again see a reign like Ferguson's at United that spanned 26 years and 38 trophies. "His achievements in the game place him without doubt as one of the 'greats'" Blatter said on Twitter. Will his longevity at the top ever be repeated? Peter Schmeichel, the Danish goalkeeper who was one of Ferguson's most important signings at United, described his decision to retire as a "bombshell" and said he "can't make sense of the timing." "It has come as a bombshell, I really don't know what to make of it," Schmeichel said. Michael Owen, the former England striker who was used sparingly by Ferguson in two seasons at United, said he was honoured to have played under him. It's just not sinking in! Manchester United with no Sir Alex just doesn't feel right," he said. What a man and great that it has ended on his terms. What a privilege to have played under arguably the best manager the world has ever seen. His record will surely never be eclipsed.. Amazing journey of a managerial giant