London: If Manchester United had not been persuaded by Bobby Charlton to hire Alex Ferguson as manager a quarter-century ago, the European football landscape would have been very different.
"We are all really lucky at Manchester United - really lucky - we have had 25 years of absolute paradise," Charlton told The Associated Press. "Every season we are expecting to win something, and we usually do. And it's because of the manager - nobody else."
As a player, Charlton led United to an earlier era of success in the 1950s and '60s. His crucial recommendation to the board led to Ferguson replacing Ron Atkinson on November 6, 1986 - with United 19 years removed from their last league title.
Since then, the Scot has turned United into a European power and transformed them into the world's wealthiest club, winning 12 league titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, the Champions League in 1999 and 2008, and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup.
But it took almost four years to win his first trophy - the 1990 FA Cup. By last May, he was celebrating United's record 19th English league title.
Ferguson accomplished it all with a constantly changing squad that saw players such as Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney come through the changing room.
"There are individual players, and great individual players," Charlton said, "but there are none that have made the decisions that (Ferguson) has made."
"He is a first-class manager, the best manager, probably the best manager that's been in the history of the game," Charlton added, before briefly pausing. "I would say more than that. In sport, in any sport, nobody has done more than he has done. The success we have had has just been phenomenal."
A player in Scotland from 1957-74, Ferguson began his managerial career with East Stirlingshire in 1974, moved to St. Mirren later that year and was hired by Aberdeen in 1978. Ferguson led Aberdeen to the 1980 Scottish league title, their first since 1955, and Charlton took notice when Ferguson's squad, a minnow by continental standards, beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup final.
"Alex then was in the place he always wanted to be," Charlton recalled.
It was Ferguson's delirious run down the Gothenburg touchline that lives in Charlton's memory.
"When I first saw him I thought he lives (football)," the 74-year-old former striker said. "And he did."
By 1986 Charlton was a director at United. When Atkinson was fired, with United next-to-last in the old first division, Charlton recommended Ferguson - who was five months removed from managing Scotland to a last-place finish in their group at the 1986 World Cup.
Charlton believed his recommendation played a "significant factor" in the appointment of Ferguson and helped end an era of dominance by Liverpool, who won the league 10 times from 1976-90.
"I just felt it was necessary to make an old player's point," Charlton put it in his autobiography. "As strong as I could; an old player, that was, who had long experienced the special demands and forces of Old Trafford."
It was a ground, though, that had not seen top-flight glory since Charlton was a player in 1967. Ferguson's United had only modest success until 1993, when they won the first season of the Premier League.
Such patience is rare in the modern era - Inter Milan fired new coach Gian Piero Gasperini five games into this season.
"We never even gave (firing him) a thought," Charlton recalled during an interview in a central London hotel. "We could see what was happening at the club and where the club was going, and there were some sticky moments and ... maybe there were some players he even knew weren't good enough, but he knew exactly where he was going."
Ferguson's success has recognized when to move the old guard on and give young players - "Fergie's Fledglings" - the chance to prosper.
"He has the work ethic and he's not afraid to make decisions," Charlton said. "He can change a team almost completely and somehow or other come out with a better team. He's just magic."
And even a shrewd football pundit and United insider like Charlton can't second-guess Ferguson on match days.
"At Old Trafford we get a little slip of paper with the team on and it changes," Charlton said. "I've never been able to get one right. He changes your players without you noticing."
Closing in on his 70th birthday on December 31, Ferguson is left alone by Charlton, his fellow directors and the American Glazer family that owns the club. He has never criticized ownership despite fan anger over the indebtedness United incurred in the 2005 takeover.
Charlton sees Ferguson as football's only unsackable manager.
"He literally tells us what to do," he said. "We've never had to question him about his team."
Ferguson is ruler of his domain. In 2003, he allegedly kicked a football boot that landed on Beckham's face during a changing room argument, and Beckham transferred to Real Madrid after the season. He quickly quashed Rooney's rebellion a year ago when the star striker demanded a transfer, claiming the club lacked ambition.
"If he sees something that will damage the team he will make sure he does something to stop it," Charlton said.
Quite simply, Charlton said Ferguson has turned United into "the biggest sports club in the world - easily."
That only makes the task of one day replacing Ferguson even harder, although he does not entertain thoughts of retirement after halting premature plans almost a decade ago.
"I hope I'm not there (when he leaves), because he's something to follow," Charlton said. "It's almost impossible, but a lot of people have learned a lot from him and he's been really very good in terms of passing on the best he can for his game ... he tells other managers ... what to do and he will help. Ask any of the players, the managers and there is not one that will have a bad word for him."
When Ferguson arrived at Old Trafford, Kenny Dalglish was Liverpool's manager. Dalglish also is today, but in between his two terms Liverpool went through Ronnie Moran, Graeme Souness, Roy Evans, Gerard Houllier, Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson.
During all that time, Ferguson kept chewing gum on the touchlines, screaming at referees, feuding with media, waving his arms at players.
"There will be good managers that come along because they have been watching him and saying if that's what he does, this is the way I'm going to do it," Charlton said. "But he has the strength in his personality that he can't give to anybody else."
And as Ferguson marks his milestone, no doubt with a favored bottle of red wine, he won't be reminiscing. There is the task of seeing off Manchester City, flush with cash and five points ahead of United, who has won four of the last five league titles.
"He now will be looking to what he's got to do next," Charlton said. "That's the first priority in his mind."
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