Fergie speaking to The Telegraph’s Henry Winter:
As ever in Ferguson's garden, buds are blossoming. "Young boys have always taken pride of place here: O'Shea and [Michael] Stewart are breaking through, [Luke] Chadwick is getting stronger and there are younger ones who are looking fine like [Kieran] Richardson, [Danny] Pugh and [Paul] Tierney. Richardson is a good player. He was a West Ham schoolboy we took up here at 14. He's a left-sided midfield player who's tough and quick with good ability."
Richardson is one of many craving the limelight. For Ferguson, the fame side of the game has long ceased to appeal. "When I was young, like everyone else, all I wanted was my photograph in the paper or to sign my first autograph. 'Oh, that's great,' I thought.
"After a couple of years it wears off and all you want is anonymity, peace and getting on with the job. I like Thursday and Sunday nights in the house; I look on that as sanctity. I calm down and watch the telly. I'm not into the soaps; I like watching movies or sport."