The story of Sir Alex Ferguson is a true rags-to-riches fairytale. Born in Govan, Glasgow, in 1941, he played for Queen's Park, Dunfermline and Rangers before retiring in 1974 to begin his managerial career. At Aberdeen, he led a struggling side to the Scottish League championship and in 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup. But it would be at Manchester United that Sir Alex achieved world domination. Joining the club in November 1986, things didn't go exactly to plan in Sir Alex's first few years at United, but signing Eric Cantona for a bargain GBP1.2 million in 1992 helped turn the tide and secure their first League trophy in 26 years. An incredible run of success followed, shaped by the emergence of 'Fergie's Fledglings' - Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Nicky Butt. And Fergie's finest moment was still to come, when Manchester United romped to an unprecedented Treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies in 1999. He was knighted the same year for his services to football. Under Sir Alex, United have surpassed arch-rivals Liverpool's league title haul, and have reached four Champions League finals, wining the trophy on two occasions.