Sir Alex Ferguson: 26 facts for 26 years at Manchester United

Ferguson won his 13th Premier League title this season 

Many fans, footballers and pundits alike will be saddened by the recent news that long-serving Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will retire at the end of the season.
In his 26th full year at the reigns of the biggest club in England, Ferguson has become one of the most recognisable faces in sport after leading the Red Devils to a host of trophies.
In this article we will look at 26 facts related to his time at Manchester United.

1. 169 managers have plied their trade in the Premier League since he took the helm at Manchester United in 1986, including the likes of Kevin Keegan, Jose Mourinho and, the most famous of all, Velimir Zajec.
2) With Ferguson in charge of Manchester United they have won the Champions League twice (1999 and 2008) and finished runners-up in 2009 and 2011. The most successful English side in recent years in the Champions League.
3) Since the inception of the Premier League, Manchester United have accumulated 1503 points from wins - winning 86 more games than nearest rivals Arsenal.
4) Under Ferguson in the Premier League, Manchester United have never finished lower than third - finishing first on 13 separate occasions.
5) The famous five of Manchester United's youth academy - Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt - appeared 3038 times in total for the Red Devils.
6) In 1996, Manchester United became the first English club to complete the Championship and FA Cup double twice.
7) In 1997, Manchester United legend Eric Cantona retired after cementing his place in Red Devils folklore, notching 69 goals in 220 appearances.
8) 1998 saw the arrival of two of Manchester United's finest players of all-time: Dwight Yorke from Aston Villa for £12.6m and Japp Stam from PSV Eindhoven for £10m.
9) Wayne Rooney currently sits fourth in the all-time highest Manchester United goalscorers list behind Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law and Jack Rowley with 197 goals in 402 appearances.
10) The longest Ferguson’s side have ever gone without being defeated is 45 games - this came between the years 1998 and 1999.
11) Eleven seconds is the shortest period of time any player has ever appeared in Manchester United colours - this came from Chris Smalling in 2012.
12) Twelve years have passed since £6m signing Andrew Cole departed from Manchester United. He managed to score 121 goals in 275 appearances – nearly notching a 50% strike rate.
13) Manchester United hold the most Premier League titles with 13; which is ten more times than both nearest rivals – Chelsea and Arsenal.
14) The longest period Ferguson’s sides ever went without conceding a goal is 14 games, between the years of 2008 and 2009.
15) With 15 Premier League goals, Nemanja Vidic is the highest-scoring current Manchester United defender.
16) Sixteen goals separate French maverick from Dwight Yorke in the Manchester United Premier League goals tally. Cantona scoring 64 and Yorke grabbing 48.
17) Three 17-year-olds have represented Manchester United in the Premier League: Danny Welbeck, Nicky Butt and Federico Macheda. The latter being the youngest of the trio.
18) Aged 18, Wayne Rooney made his Champions League debut scoring a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in front of the Old Trafford faithful.
19) The current youngest member of Ferguson’s Manchester United squad is 19-year-old Nick Powell, who has appeared six times this season scoring once.
20) This season alone, Manchester United have 20 players out on loan.
21) 39-year-old Ryan Giggs is in his 21st season as a Manchester United player, having played 939 times in all competitions. This makes him the club's longest-serving player – ever.
22) The fewest goals conceded in a season by Ferguson's United is 22 - these goals coming in the 2007/08 season.
23) Ferguson, at his time at Manchester United, has managed out of 1498 games has managed to hit a 59.71% win rate. Also in this time managing to maintain a +1404 goal-difference.
24) £24m is what it cost to bring sensational Dutch genius Robin van Persie to Manchester United from Arsenal in 2012. Van Persie has, so far, netted 29 times in 45 appearances.
25) £250,000 was the amount of money Ferguson paid for Viv Anderson from Arsenal in 1987.
26) 26 years is the amount of years Alex Ferguson served at Manchester United - winning 49 titles, and restoring them to a global superpower.
Feel free to leave any more interesting facts about Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure at Manchester United in the comment section.