Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed the reason he has remained at the top for so long is because he has a hunger to learn.
Football has changed completely since Sir Alex took up his role as Reds boss 20 years ago - he celebrates the anniversary of his Old Trafford appointment on 6 November.
The Scot says the key to surviving in football for so long, aside from an insatiable love of the game, is voracious hunger to learn.
"I can only think back to when I was a young man and how keen I was to learn,” he said in an interview with The Technician magazine. “That enthusiasm for knowledge should never be lost. For example, I had a great discussion with Marcello (Lippi) about Italy’s tactics in the World Cup.
"I thought the final was tactically very interesting; he thought the semi-final against Germany was better. And in terms of spectacle, he was right. The main thing is that we are curious and we talk.
"Apart from staying inquisitive, my message to all practising coaches is to persevere. We all have bad days. I have had some but I always came back. When I was at Aberdeen I lost a final, and on the Monday I told the players it was the last time we would lose a final – it was. You have to have the vital drive, and to deal with the disappointments."
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