Sir Alex Ferguson says he is dreading the thought of stepping down as Manchester United boss in the future.

The 67-year-old Scot believes he will find it difficult to adjust to life when he is no longer running the club he has managed for 23 years.

Ferguson told L'Equipe: "I am in the penalty shoot-out of my career but I'm scared about thinking about retirement.

"I have been on the train for so long that when I get off it, I am scared my body will shut down."

Ferguson, who won the European Cup in 1999, almost retired in 2002 but changed his mind and went on to win the Champions League again last year and is on course for a quintuple of trophies this season.

In November, he celebrated a half-century in football having won 10 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, the League Cup twice, and the Champions League twice.

Ferguson, who recently said he does not expect to continue in management past the age of 70, added: "Three reasons are going to make me say 'quit' - if my health deteriorates, if I no longer enjoy working, if I no longer have the strength to rise to the challenges.

"Each summer I ask myself these three questions. I go to see my doctor, to start off with. My age has put me on alert since I had a pacemaker set up four or five years ago.

"My doctor says, 'Boss, you are 67, your back is going to get worse and worse. There are mornings when getting up is not going to be easy'. These are the penalties."

Sir Alex Ferguson believes speculation regarding Carlos Tevez's future at Manchester United has been blown out of proportion.

The Argentina international is approaching the end of his two-year loan deal at Old Trafford, but is yet to pen a permanent contract.

With time running out, United are yet to agree a fee with Tevez's third-party owners or personal terms with the player himself.

That has led to suggestions that the 25-year-old will be heading to pastures new over the summer, with his lack of action this season only serving to fuel those rumours.

However, Ferguson insists Tevez remains part of his long-term plans and has defended his decision to rotate the forward at regular intervals this term, claiming that is part and parcel of having a squad brimming with world-class talent.

"The Tevez thing, it is a media story," the United boss told L'Equipe Magazine.

Progressing

"As he is not our player, everything that goes on with him is analysed on this premise.

"It's good for papers to say Tevez isn't playing. But when it is (Michael) Carrick, (Darren) Fletcher, (Ryan) Giggs or (Paul) Scholes, nobody could care less.

"I have 23 players. Up front, I must choose between Tevez, (Wayne) Rooney, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Dimitar) Berbatov, Nani, Park Ji-sung, Giggs, Scholes and some youngsters.

"You can't play them all together.

"Players like Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo are still progressing. For me, a player reaches maturity at 26-27."

Sir Alex Ferguson has explained his reasons for rejecting all offers from Real Madrid for Fifa World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Manchester United ace was at the centre of a long-running and increasingly bitter transfer saga over the summer with the La Liga club making the Portuguese phenomenon their leading target.

Despite mixed messages from the player, the Red Devils stood firm against Real's advances with Ronaldo eventually pledging his immediate future to Old Trafford.

Ferguson was clearly angered by the continued pressure from Real, later describing them as a 'mob' and claiming he 'would not sell them a virus'.

The Old Trafford supremo insists his determination to keep Ronaldo was because he had no desire to lose the services of one of his star men, and not because of his personal feelings towards the Spanish side.

Business

Ferguson told L'Equipe Magazine: "First, you have to listen to the will of the player.

"If two clubs came to offer £100million for Cristiano and Cristiano wants to go to Madrid, do you think I could make him sign for the other club? You think I could go against his wishes?

"All I can do is advise him. But all this makes sense only if we are ready to sell Cristiano for £100million.

"We have already sold players to Madrid: Heinze, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy. We sold them those players because we wanted to.

"We didn't sell Cristiano because we didn't want to. It's just a business question, not an ethical question.

"I won't let my personal feelings influence my decision making."