Sir Alex Ferguson prepares for final United home game

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after the final whistle against Swansea City in 2012. Credit: Neal Simpson/EMPICS Sport

Michael Laudrup can empathise with the agonising Sir Alex Ferguson would have gone through before deciding to retire, but believes the outgoing Manchester United manager has got his timing spot on.

Laudrup and his Swansea side will be Ferguson's final Old Trafford opponents on Sunday, after it was announced in midweek the Scot is stepping down at the end of the season, with Everton boss David Moyes his replacement as Manchester United boss.

Here are some of the highlight's from Sir Alex's reign at the club:

Sir Alex Ferguson had been set to retire at the end of the 2001/02 season only to reverse his decision, but Laudrup feels this time is the right time for the ex-Aberdeen boss to call time on his unparalleled career, drawing comparisons with his own decision to end his time as a player.

Here's the now infamous Kevin Keegan rant, when Newcastle were vying to become champions:

Laudrup added: "I won the double and went to the World Cup with Denmark knowing I could enjoy it. To end your career at the top, top."I said to myself I want to finish a day before not a day after I should have.

"I wanted to finish and have people say 'Michael, you should have played a couple more seasons', not 'Michael, you should have quit two years ago'."

Sir Alex made mind games his forte, like when former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez fumed about Ferguson:

But Laudrup expects Ferguson to have a difficult time adjusting once his managerial career comes to an end.

He said: "It is impressive how he has been going on like that, but after so many years it is a way of living more than a job. To be competitive year after year means you have something special, he will find it strange," he said.

"It's like when you stop playing. You can never prepare yourself, you can talk to people in the same situation but you have never been there yourself.

"You may have played at the top level for 20 years, and you can ask others how it is not to play, you can get some advice but when you get there it is different."