Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed in his new book, 'Leading', that Pep Guardiola was his first choice to replace him at Old Trafford rather than David Moyes, who succeeded him as the manager in 2013.
Ferguson said that he had asked Guardiola to call him before joining another club, but he didn't and ended up accepting Bayern Munich's offer, the Mirror reported.
The 13-time Premier League winner further admitted that he admired Guardiola as he had claimed number of trophies with Barcelona.
Moyes, who replaced Ferguson after ending his 12-year association with Everton, had lasted less than twelve months in United hot seat.
Later, Dutchman Louis van Gaal was hired in as Moyes' replacement after the 2014 World Cup. In his first season, Van Gaal led United to a fourth-place finish.