( CNN ) -- Alex Ferguson is the legendary Manchester United coach who once sent a boot flying into the face of David Beckham , but a British sculptor has revealed a softer side to the formidable Scot . Ferguson recently celebrated 26 years as United 's manager this week , during which time he has won trophies at home and abroad as well as gaining a fierce reputation for the `` hairdryer treatment '' he dishes out to his players . But that was not the man sculptor Philip Jackson encountered after being commissioned to produce a nine-foot bronze statue of Ferguson which was unveiled on Friday with a host of United legends in attendance . `` He 's a very interesting character , '' Jackson , based in the English county of Sussex , told CNN when asked about the 70-year-old United boss . `` He 's much more than you seen on the television . `` When he came down to the studio he said , 'Did you know that Gore Vidal had died ? ' and 'Have you read the new biography of Charles de Gaulle ? ' He 's a very well-read man . '' Over the last quarter of a century , Ferguson has overseen United 's ascent to the top of English football . The Old Trafford team has won 12 league titles under his stewardship , helping it to a record 19 English championships overall , in addition to two European Champions League triumphs . Benign expression . Raised in the working-class district of Govan in Glasgow , the 70-year-old Ferguson is a staunch supporter of the British Labour Party . As a manager Ferguson has a no-nonsense reputation , letting go of top players like Beckham , Roy Keane , Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy when he senses they have outlived their usefulness to the United cause . A long-running spat with the BBC saw Ferguson refuse to speak with the British broadcaster for seven years after a 2004 documentary made unproven allegations of wrongdoing against his football agent son Jason . But fellow Scotsman Jackson wanted to capture a different side of Ferguson for the sculpture which was unveiled during a ceremony ahead of Saturday 's match with Queens Park Rangers -- the team he faced in his first match in charge at Old Trafford in 1986 . `` I wanted him to have a slightly benign expression on his face , so that 's what he 's got . He 's wearing the sort of clothes he would wear at a match in the winter . '' Amalgam . Jackson was already known to United 's hierarchy after producing sculptures of former manager Matt Busby and the legendary playing trio of George Best , Bobby Charlton and Denis Law . `` I 'd already done the Matt Busby sculpture for Manchester United some 12-15 years ago , '' said Jackson , who in his role as royal sculptor has produced works ranging from the archangel Gabriel and Constantine the Great to the young Mozart . `` I did the United trinity of Best , Charlton and Law and when that was completed we talked about doing Alex . I did n't do anything immediately . `` There was an opportunity when his 25th anniversary came up and they decided to name a stand after him . So it was decided it should be done to go in front of that . '' In order to do justice to a man as respected as Ferguson , Jackson built up an in-depth knowledge of his personality and appearance during several meetings . `` I went up to see him , took a lot of photographs of him and spent some time watching him at a match , '' explained Jackson , who also produced a sculpture of England 's World Cup-winning squad of 1966 which is outside Wembley Stadium . `` I got a lot of photographs from the Manchester United archives and also a lot of books that had been written about him . `` To start of piece of sculpture is almost like researching for a book , you have to get to know the person very well . `` It 's an amalgam of everything I 've seen of him and the meetings I 've had with him . I 've done him fairly pensive . He often stands on the edge of the pitch deciding on what 's going to happen next . That 's the moment I 've chosen to record . '' When capturing a character like Ferguson , how did Jackson select one stationary pose to epitomize a coach who is most often seen wildly gesticulating from the sidelines ? `` I imagine him standing on the touchline in deep concentration , about to say something to the team which is going to change the tactics somewhat , '' he replied . `` One of the things he does is when the team has won or someone has scored a goal , he tends to put his hands in the air and wave them backwards and forwards . `` That 's a very good pose for film , but it 's not a good pose for sculpture as it makes him look like he 's surrendering . '' Ancient tradition . Sports stars have long been the subject of works of art , with the athletes of ancient Greece often honored with carvings and statues . `` Sports sculptures , the tradition goes back to Greco-Roman times , '' said Jackson . `` If you look at Greek sculpture , it 's all of athletes or people who took part in the Games . It is carrying on a very long tradition . '' There are practical advantages of depicting sportsmen for sculptors . `` They have generally come to a job through being young , athletic sportsmen , '' added Jackson . `` The theme of fitness continues throughout their life . It makes them easier to sculpt because their bodies are well proportioned . '' The sculpture of Ferguson will be the latest in a long line of monuments proudly displayed by English football clubs . Ferguson 's fellow Scot Bill Shankly has a tribute outside Liverpool 's Anfield Stadium for the three league titles he won for the club between 1964 and 1973 . Newcastle United unveiled a statue of much-loved former manager Bobby Robson earlier this year . Robson , England 's coach during the 1990 World Cup , was a native of the north east and occupied the Newcastle hotseat for five years .
Alex Ferguson will be honored with a statue outside Man Utd 's stadium . The nine-meter bronze sculpture will be unveiled on November 23 . Briton Philip Jackson is the artist commissioned to produce the artwork . Jackson has worked with United on two previous commissions .