ALEX FERGUSON HAS claimed he only worked with four world class players during his 26 years with Manchester United despite winning 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues in that time.

Unsurprisingly, given their difficult relationship since his departure from the club, Roy Keane does not make the list.

Instead, Ferguson says Paul Scholes, Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs were the best players he worked with over his two and a half decades.

“They made the difference and the evidence is there,” he told Football Focus.

Cantona, who United signed from Leeds in November 1992, is described by Ferguson as “the catalyst” for all the subsequent success, adding “when we brought him in we won the league that season – it was his mere presence and his ability to make and score goals.

“The younger breed like Ryan and Scholes were just fantastic players and the thing about those two was longevity.

“Are there players who have played right through the whole of the Premier League and performed at the level they have? There are none, absolutely none.

“Of course Ronaldo was just a complete genius of a player.”

While not quite world class, Ferguson does describe the likes of Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Peter Schmeichel as “great players.”

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