Ryan Giggs believes Sir Alex Ferguson will continue as manager of Manchester United for at least another five years. Ferguson, who will be 68 this month, took over in 1986 and Giggs expects the Scot to serve well over a quarter of a century at Old Trafford.

Giggs intends to stay beyond this season, having been offered a new one-year contract, and the 36-year-old anticipates leaving United before Ferguson.

Asked who would retire first, Giggs said: "I think it will be me. The manager is as good as ever and will go on for a long time. I can still see him as manager of United in five years' time, easily, because as long as he is healthy he will have the desire to carry on."

Giggs added in the Times: "He has a great team around him, he has his passions away from the game and can get away with his horse racing. When he comes back to football he is refreshed, and I know he still has that desire."