Tourrific - Fergie's flights of fancy give Moyes space

JET-SETTER ... Fergie plans to take in Australia, Argentina and the US

ALEX FERGUSON plans to go on his travels this summer — and get as far away from David Moyes as possible.

Legendary Manchester United boss Fergie plans to fulfil his long-term ambitions by taking in some of the world’s top sporting events.

It will also ensure he is not breathing down the neck of fellow Scot Moyes, who will start work on filling the biggest shoes in football from July 1.

But even without his guiding hand, Ferguson is convinced Moyes will ensure this is not the end for United — and predicts a glittering future.

After his hip operation this summer, Fergie plans to hit the road and said: “I’ll hopefully go to the Melbourne Cup and the Kentucky Derby, they’re two things definitely.

“There are a lot of things you can do but the one thing about travel is that you need your health to travel and, hopefully, my health remains.

“Will I watch a lot of football? It’s possible. I’d like to go to Boca Juniors against River Plate, I really would. That’s the one game I’d like to go to see.”

Ferguson, 71, also brushed off suggestions he will find it hard to let go after more than 26 years in charge at Old Trafford.

He added: “I’ve done it, I did it last week. It’s not an issue for me. I’ll just go and do what I’m going to do. The next stage of my life.

“Even if I’d waited another year, two or three, you have to do what you are going to do. To remain active, you have to do something and I’ll be doing plenty of things.”

Ferguson will remain on the payroll at the club as a director and ambassador but is sure that will not cast a shadow over the new manager.

He added: “The ambassadorial role is 20 days a year. It’s fine, no problem.

“The role will be defined by the club. There are a lot of sponsors now — important people in the club — and that’ll be my role. Whatever they want me to do in those 20 days, it’ll be fine.”

And Fergie is convinced the club which is so close to his heart will continue to prosper without him, adding: “If you go back to Matt Busby’s day, Sir Matt was probably in the same situation that I find myself in today.

“He created Manchester United as we have it today, he had the vision to take the club into Europe and rebuild the team.

“I’m in the same situation. The past is the past, it will always be there and it’s a good record. But the future is a new manager who will get all the support from us.

“Hopefully, he’ll continue the success. It’s not the end of United as far as winning titles is concerned. They’ll win titles, win trophies.”

Moyes, 50, has spent the last 11 years at United’s Premier League rivals Everton without winning any silverware.

But Fergie reckons his replacement will be a success, saying: “I’m sure of that, he’s got good experience behind him, like I had. I had 8½ years at Aberdeen.

“That had challenges too. It wasn’t easy to bring it to the level we wanted but we did it because we had the right people driving it. Archie Knox and I worked hard.

“If I hadn’t had the experience I had at Aberdeen, I don’t know if I’d have done it as well. A young manager couldn’t do the job here, you need experience.

“You look at all the things he’s done, experience wise, working under the constraints he has. I remember when Walter Smith and Archie were at Everton, they had to sell their best players all the time because they never had any money.

“David inherited that. To get by all those years and survive on that takes some doing.”

Fergie takes charge of United for the 1,500th and final time at West Brom today — and is backing his players to deliver one final hurrah.

He said: “There is more pressure in playing a European final or an important league game than Sunday. I’m hoping the players go and express themselves. That’s the secret, we always do that.”