Fergie invited Moyes to his house to discuss the Old Trafford hotseat long before his retirement was announced.

United's owners, the Glazers, were adamant they didn't want mass speculation over Fergie's successor.

Ferguson knew the Moyes family well having played at Drumchapel with David Moyes senior - and was eager to fulfil the Glazer's wishes to nail down a replacement within days.

Moyes impressed both Ferguson and the Glazers with his straight-talking and his eagerness to embrace the United traditions.

Moyes opted to let three of Fergie's coaching staff go - Rene Meulensteen, Mike Phelan and Eric Steele - but holds no hard feelings.

Fergie, in his new book My Autobiography, wrote: "I told him that if he kept my staff I would be delighted, but it was not for me to interfere or prevent him bringing in his own assistants."