Football hasn't felt the same since Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement and stepped down as manager of Manchester United Football Club at the end of last season.
It was a surreal moment for football fans of all generations on Sunday, as the country witnessed the Red Devils lifting yet another trophy but without their famous coach.
However, those who’ve missed his presence this summer will be pleased to hear that, the man many believe to be the greatest manager in the history of football, has written about his love for the Barclays Premier League.
Talking about his experiences in the game, having managed one of the biggest clubs in the world football for 27 years, the Scot talks about the state of the game in the modern era, the amazing exposure football presently receives and the culture of youth football Manchester United created during his tenure at the club
Writing the foreword for the Premier League's official season review, here are his words, in full.
Football has been my life and I have had the privilege to be involved in an absolutely fantastic football club in Manchester United.
The fans, the players, my staff – all of them have contributed to something truly remarkable. The trophies we have won, the wonder goals from the wonderful players, the amazing matches we have been involved in, and those dramatic comebacks I remember so fondly now – all of them have to be set in the context of the club and the contribution it has made to English football.
Many things have changed in the game since my arrival from Aberdeen in November 1986, not least the levels of interest and scale of exposure. At times it is unbelievable the amount of column inches generated from one incident in a match or during the course of a season. But on the whole English football is in a much better place than it was 27 years ago.
Across the leagues, stadiums weren’t what they should have been, the development of players was nowhere near as advanced as it is now, those controlling the game couldn’t give the TV rights away, fans weren’t treated properly and what interest there was in football from government was negative.
There are some with rose-tinted glasses who think football was great a generation ago, but nostalgia plays strange tricks with the mind. Back then, football’s role in the cultural makeup of the country was arguably in decline. It was a great shame given the joy and life-affirming attributes it gives to me and thousands of others, week in, week out.
Manchester United, perhaps more than any other club, has symbolised the transformation of the English game during the Premier League years.
The club’s commitment to investment at every level shines through.
Top class players, both purchased and developed; wonderful facilities at Old Trafford and Carrington for players and fans; community programmes that place us at the heart of the community locally and farther afield – the club has set a standard in the Premier League that others strive to better. Sometimes they manage to!
Those challenges, season after season, spur the best on to be better. In my time, challengers have come and gone. Some have remained and some have even returned for another go. But competition is healthy and it is what sets this league apart from others in Europe.
You know that no team is going to give you an easy match. The quality and entertainment of the football in the Premier League has increased year on year. It was always getting harder to go out and win the title, to find the right mix of players – youth, experience and attitude.
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