What they said: Tributes to Sir Alex Ferguson’s 25 years at MUFC

Alex Ferguson is celebrating a historically successful 25 years at Manchester United and the tributes from his friends and colleague have been pouring in. These are a few of those tributes to Sir Alex on his remarkable anniversary.

Rafa Benitez -- Liverpool manager, 2004-2010

Ah, you want to know about Sir Alex? Well, I'll tell you about Sir Alex. He's a lovely man. A lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely man. And a great football manager. That's a fact. Would you like to hear another fact? Every night, after he and his wife have gone to sleep, I sneak into his house and I spit in his wine bottles. Every night. I do that every night. Fact. Does it make me feel better? A little bit. Now if you'll excuse me, this voodoo doll isn't going to stab itself.

Dimitar Berbatov -- Manchester United player, 2008-present

Well hello there. If you speak to Sir Alex, please remind him that I won the Golden Boot last season. I can't seem to get his attention from where I sit. Then again, I do sit two or three seats away from him and he is very old now.

Bebe -- Manchester United player, August 11, 2010-August 12, 2010

Our fish of the day is haddock.

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John Terry -- Chelsea captain

He's a b**** c***.

David Beckham -- Manchester United player, 1991-2003

He's like a father to me. Of course, there was the time that he had one of his tantrums and threw a boot at my head, opening up a cut above my eye. But, thankfully, he narrowly avoided blinding me and prematurely ending my career, so it was all forgotten not long after that. Mostly because he said he'd throw the other boot at my head if it wasn't. Please don't tell him I told you about this. Please?

Harry Redknapp -- Tottenham Hotspur manager

Wait, let me get in my car. I only do interviews while I'm sitting in my car.

Jamie Redknapp -- Liverpool player, 1991-2002

Alex Ferguson is literally a father to me.

Mario Balotelli -- Manchester City player, 2010-present

Alex who?

Bert Tiddle -- Ipswich Town player, 1984-1985; Coventry City player, 1986-1987; Sheffield United player, 1989-1990

I was telling Hemorrhage, one of my 18 kids, just the other day that Alex Ferguson is the greatest man to ever walk this earth. She said, "But dad, he's just a football manager. Other people have cured disease and saved lives and invented things." And I said, "Hey -- I'll be having none of that talk in my house! Alex Ferguson is better than anyone who cures diseases or invents things. He could probably cure cancer if he wanted to. But he doesn't want to. He wants to win Premier League titles and he does that rather well. So you can move right back into that opium den if you're going to talk like that!" And she did. That was a couple years ago at this point and she hasn't sent me a birthday card or nothing.

Jose Mourinho -- Chelsea manager, 2004-2007

It is very nice of Sir Alex to keep Manchester United manager's seat warm for me. When I am ready I will take it and I will win more trophies in two years than he wins in 25. Then I will leave -- maybe to coach another team, maybe to poke people in the eyes. I do not know. Also, why is there no tribute to Rafa Benitez? Oh, that's right -- it's because he is unemployed. Maybe when he is unemployed for 25 years we have a tribute for him, too.

Photo: Getty