Sir Alex Ferguson admits Pep Guardiola regret as Man Utd legend reveals details of secret New York meeting

In his new book, Games of My Life, the legendary Scottish manager reflects on a crucial encounter in 2012. Ferguson met with Guardiola in New York, a year before ultimately stepping down from his 27-year tenure at Manchester United.

At the time of their dinner, Guardiola had already established a phenomenal managerial reputation, securing a historic continental sextuple with Barcelona in 2009. However, the Spaniard had practically committed to joining Bayern Munich.

David Moyes eventually succeeded Ferguson in July 2013, lasting just 10 months in the role. Meanwhile, Guardiola went on to claim seven major trophies in Germany before dominating English football with United's bitter rivals, Manchester City.

Ferguson admits that had he acted sooner, football history might look drastically different. The Scot expressed his lingering thoughts regarding the timing of their rendezvous, noting that his own retirement plans were not yet finalised during the New York summit.

"Over the past ten years, I have often wondered what might have happened if the dinner I had with Pep in New York in 2012 had taken place a couple of months earlier," Ferguson wrote. "At the time, I hadn't decided for certain that I was going to retire. And Pep was convinced that, after achieving huge success in just four years in La Liga with a Continental treble as well as a League and Champions League double, he wanted to try life in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich."

The iconic manager added that he would have done everything possible to change Guardiola's mind. He penned: "If I could rewind time, we would have dined some months earlier, I would have poured plenty of Tignanello (Italian wine) and I would have tried my hardest to convince him that his future lay in Manchester. Unfortunately for us, it did. Enough said."

Ferguson only finalised his decision to leave Old Trafford following the passing of his sister-in-law in December 2012. Having watched Guardiola flourish across Europe, the former United boss holds profound respect for the Catalan's managerial blueprint.

"Pep has set a breathtaking standard for the current generation of players or anybody aspiring to become a manager. Draped in Barcelona's blue and garnet from the time he was born, he had a brilliant club career and was one of the best creative midfielders in the game during the 1990s," Ferguson explained. "During his playing days, Pep had more than a taste of success - he positively feasted on it. He also had the opportunity to play for a series of strong personalities with different approaches to managing - Johan Cruyff, Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal.

"Pep became manager of Barcelona when he was just thirty-seven years old. When I see some of the game's biggest stars leave the field and immediately take a manager's job without much preparation or experience, my heart sinks. It often ends badly, especially for the Premier League players."

He added: "The stakes are too high. You're right in everyone's crosshairs. The public expect that your success on the field will automatically transfer to the dugout. Former players are impatient to make the transition to the top tier. Pep Guardiola is the most celebrated example of a manager who started with a top club when he was relatively young."

While Ferguson remains an immortal figure at Old Trafford with 13 Premier League titles and two Champions League crowns, United have spent the past 13 years searching for the stability he provided.

Meanwhile, Guardiola definitively shaped the modern era at Manchester City before his departure at the end of last season. Having secured six top-flight titles and a Champions League during his decade in charge, his legacy remains permanently entrenched on the blue side of the city divide, even as the club navigates the ongoing appeal of its financial charges - which City continue to firmly deny.