(Reuters) - Premier League football champions Manchester United confirmed on Wednesday that Alex Ferguson, 71, would step aside as manager at the end of the season. Here is a brief look at the main points in his life:
FERGUSON'S ACHIEVEMENTS:
* Born December 31, 1941 in Glasgow, Scotland, he has led Manchester United to two Champions League triumphs, 13 Premier League titles and five FA Cups.
* His greatest achievement was in 1999 when United won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
* He was knighted for his services to British football in the same year, following the unprecedented treble.
* Before joining United, he led Aberdeen to three Scottish titles and one European Cup Winners' Cup, breaking the dominance of Glasgow giants Rangers and Celtic in Scottish football.
FIRST CLUBS:
* He played in Scotland for Queens Park, St Johnstone, Dunfermline, Rangers, Falkirk and Ayr United.
* Managed Scottish sides East Stirlingshire, St Mirren and Aberdeen and was Scotland's caretaker manager at the 1986 World Cup finals before moving to United.
MANCHESTER UNITED:
* Ferguson took over at Old Trafford on November 6, 1986, after the dismissal of Ron Atkinson.
* He guided them away from the relegation zone but success failed to materialise in the following seasons and he was close to being sacked before United won the FA Cup in 1990, the first silverware under his reign.
* He announced his intention to retire as United manager in 2002 but changed his mind.
* In December 2010, he surpassed the 24-year-plus tenure of Sir Matt Busby to become the longest-serving manager in United's history. He ended the season with another milestone victory that gave United another Premier League championship.
PERSONAL LIFE:
* Ferguson also has a passion for horse racing and is a part-owner of two horses - "What A Friend" and "Harry The Viking" which took part in the 2013 Grand National. The horses have 10 wins between them but failed to finish at the National.
* Ferguson married Cathy Holding in 1966. They have three sons: Mark, Darren and Jason.
Sources: Reuters/http://www.biographyonline.net
(Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by Clare Fallon)
