Gary Neville:
"To spend 1,000 games at Manchester United is a miracle, it is an astonishing achievement and the highest compliment I can pay him is that when he eventually leaves, he will be thought of in the same way United fans look at Sir Matt Busby now."
"Sir Matt is regarded as a god at this club and that is exactly how the manager will be viewed. It's not just his achievements, it's his loyalty and the way he has conducted himself. He is a true great in the game and everyone knows it."
Ol' whingebag Wenger: ``No matter what kind of differences we have, that is a fantastic achievement. `I don't know all the history - but he's certainly one of the greatest British managers, with what he's done. Of course, I respect him for that.''
Martin O'Neill, the young pretender:
"When people talk about modern day managers it is my own belief that he is the greatest in the game going back to when he took over at Manchester United. His record at Aberdeen for a provincial club, beating the Old Firm and taking the championship, was fantastic and he has gone on to prove himself at Manchester United."
``I know people think that he was a game away from getting the sack with that famous game at Nottingham Forest. But he turned that around with an unbelievable reign. It is an absolutely fantastic achievement to win the championship with any players but he has done it again and again despite having to change his side around with evolution. He has had great confidence to change it with the emergence of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and the rest. They won the championship again and his record has just been fantastic at a club the size of Manchester United."
``I have the utmost admiration for him, and more than that, and I speak for every manager in European football.''
Carlos the loyal deputy:
"One thousand games on the top of world football is a fantastic achievement. It is what makes Alex Ferguson who he is. His name and football is more or less the same thing.
I have worked in football all around the world and he is a reference for other managers. He is a role model for all of us. It is his personality that most managers follow very carefully and try to take the positives from all the things he has done as Manchester United manager over many years.
I know there are one or two others who have been at clubs for a long time, but 18 years with the same club is very unusual. In Portugal, for incstance, 18 days is a fantastic record! I think it perhaps only possible in England. In the rest of the world it is perhaps not so easy to achieve. We are all very proud of his achievement."