Sir Alex Ferguson never wanted to cast a shadow over his successors at Manchester United. He had seen what Sir Matt Busby's lingering presence did to Frank O'Farrell and Wilf McGuinness in the early 1970s, and was wary of haunting the managers who tried to follow in his footsteps.
Even so, Ferguson must be a little surprised - not to say disappointed - at how little he has been involved at Old Trafford in close to a decade since he stood down as the most successful manager in British football.
His main contribution was to anoint David Moyes as his successor in 2013.