Sir Alex Ferguson believes Jose Mourinho would be capable of stepping into his shoes at Manchester United, but stopped short of saying he is the man who should replace him.

Many have long thought the Portuguese coach would be the perfect candidate to succeed Ferguson when he does leave Old Trafford, and the Spanish press today reported Mourinho will be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season after falling 11 points behind Barcelona in La Liga.

He is no stranger to the English league having won back-to-back titles with Chelsea during a three-year spell between 2004 and 2007, having initially introduced himself to English fans when his Porto side knocked United out of the Champions League in 2003.

When asked if Mourinho could replace him, Fergie said: "He can manage anywhere. I'm not going to put any forecasts on what is going to happen at this club. I won't last forever, but Jose can manage anywhere."

Unlike Ferguson, Mourinho had little success on the field, making his haul of 21 trophies from 10 years in the dugout all the more impressive.

Ferguson added: "He's got a marvellous, strong personality and I think that bridges that gap.

"That's incredible (his trophy haul). How old is he now? Fiftieth year. So he is 20 years behind me. At the same rate he is going to add another 42 trophies. At the current rate, (that is) amazing isn't it?"