Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of this season, bringing to an end his 26-year tenure as head coach of the legendary Manchester United football club. Creative Commons

The Manchester United football club is one of the most recognizable sports franchises in the world.

With greats such as Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo serving time for The Red Devils, it comes as no shock that Man U has been a consistent competitor in every league and match they take part in.

Another reason for Manchester United's continuous success - especially over the last 26 seasons - has been club manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

According to ESPN however, the most successful coach in British football history will retire following the completion of the 2012-2013 season. While the decision to step away from the game did not come easy for the 71-year-old Man U leader, the time is now for him to walk away.

"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly," Ferguson said in a statement to the Associated Press. "It is the right time."

Ferguson coached his first match at the famed Old Trafford in 1986 and quickly turned around a struggling team. As he'd begin to build the Red Devils from the bottom up, Ferguson guided the team to the first-ever Premier League Championship in 1993.

Under Ferguson's guidance, the club would go on to win 7 of the first 10 Premier League titles. Since Premier League Championships became accounted for at the start 1992-1993 season, Ferguson and United have won a total of 13 championships, including the 2012-2013 top honor. In their history, Manchester United has won a total of 20 League Championships.

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In addition to his success in the Premier League, Ferguson led Man U to 5 FA Cups and 2 Champions League crowns.

With 38 career trophies won since taking over the English superpower, Ferguson wanted to leave his squad in the best shape possible when it comes to continued success on the playing fields.

"It was important to me to leave an organization in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so," Ferguson said. "The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continues success at the highest level whilst the structure of the youth setup will ensure that the long-term future of the club remains a bright one."

With it now known to the public that Ferguson will step away at the end of the season, speculation as to who will replace the legend has begun.

As Yahoo Sports indicates, current Everton manager David Moyes and Real Madrid head man Jose Mourinho are the front-runners for the job.

A native of Bearsden, Scotland, David Moyes could potentially land one of the most prized positions in sports.

Since taking over the reins of the Everton football club in 2002, the 50-year-old has guided the club to 217 wins including a second place finish in the 2009 FA Cup. The club fell to Chelsea in that championship match 2-1.

While Moyes will certainly garner tons of consideration leading up to next season, Manchester United may in fact wind up with another legend on the sideline.

Considered by many to be one of the greatest football coaches of all-time, Jose Mourinho is said to be in the running for the Manchester United gig. The current Real Madrid manager has consistently built strong soccer clubs year after year.

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Before joining Madrid in 2010, Mourinho enjoyed success with Chelsea and Internazionale, winning 2 Premier League titles with Chelsea and a Champions League title in 2010 with Internazionale.

In addition to his success with Chelsea and Inter, Mourinho led Madrid to the 2011-2012 La Liga title, earning himself the 2010 FIFA World Coach of the Year honor.

Manchester United will undoubtedly have a tough decision to make when it comes to naming their next manager. It's not every day that a team is asked to replace a living legend.

While Ferguson is stepping down as Man U manager, the club is in tremendous shape moving forward and adding tremendous coaches such as Jose Mourinho or David Moyes would only help the team continue their long history of success.

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