Sir Alex Ferguson recommended three names as his Man Utd successor – including me

David O'Leary has disclosed he was under consideration to become Manchester United manager after receiving Sir Alex Ferguson's endorsement. Ferguson declared his plans to step down at the conclusion of the 2001/02 campaign, sparking the hunt for his replacement. O'Leary was creating a stir at fierce rivals Leeds United at the time, guiding the club to the Champions League semi-finals in 2001 following a third-place finish in the Premier League the previous year. So when Ferguson was consulted about a potential successor, the Scot put forward O'Leary, who had taken over from George Graham at Elland Road in 1998, alongside two other candidates. Speaking on The Overlap's Stick to Football , O'Leary confirmed the approach : "Michael Kennedy [his solicitor] did, yeah, [hear] about it. FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page "Alex had recommended about three people or something like that. It never went any further than that. One of the chosen ones, yeah." O'Leary and the other 'chosen ones' never got their opportunity after Ferguson reversed his decision, which resulted in him staying in charge for a further 11 years. Ferguson has since acknowledged the announcement to retire was an error. He said: "The biggest mistake I made was announcing it at the start of the season. I think a lot of them had put their tools away. "They thought, 'Oh, the manager's leaving.' But when I changed my mind in the January, I started thinking about United again and how we could get back on top." At that point, chief executive Peter Kenyon had been overwhelmed by agents representing some of the globe's most sought-after managers, all eager to seize the chance of succeeding Ferguson. The England boss then claimed he had secretly put pen to paper on a contract to become United manager following the 2002 World Cup finals. Meanwhile, O'Leary was dismissed by Leeds in 2002, before the club plunged into a period of financial chaos. At the time, rumours circulated that his relationship with the club had soured over the proposed transfer of Rio Ferdinand to United. Now 24 years on, Ferguson has not been consulted regarding the current managerial situation at Old Trafford, though he is believed to be supportive of the anticipated appointment of Michael Carrick, who has made a strong impression as interim boss since taking the reins in January.