Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson gives his verdict on Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp

The Man City boss and his Liverpool FC rival have both been inducted into the League Managers Association Hall of Fame.

Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson has praised Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Liverpool rival Jurgen Klopp for their “courage”.

The formers Reds boss helped to induct both men into the League Managers’ Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony held in Manchester last night.

And while it might have been galling for Sir Alex to present awards to the managers of two clubs who were among his bitterest rivals, the Scot was full of praise.

“I’m delighted when someone excels in the game of football, and of course coming from abroad into English football is not easy - they have really excelled themselves in that respect,” he said.

“I think that, quite rightly, they join the pantheon of great managers we have had here, and have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“They have been absolutely brilliant. Their teams play with attacking flair, excitement and imagination, and they have shown it in the fantastic teams they have produced.”

Sir Alex tried to tempt Guardiola to join United as his successor, but the Catalan chose Bayern Munich instead, and then joined forces with old friends Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain at City in 2016.

The former United boss pinpointed exactly what he and Klopp have achieved: “Their teams mirror themselves. They have teams with courage, that play to win all the time, that play to attack all the time and that courage has got them where they are.

“If you look at the league last year and this year, it has been dominated by them, and of course Liverpool won the European Cup.

“It’s been a great period for them, and that’s the reason we have recognised the courage of their teams.”