Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has led the tributes to great rival Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of the long-serving Manchester United manager's latest honour.
United are to mark the Scot's phenomenally successful 26 years in charge at Old Trafford by unveiling a statue of the 70-year-old outside the stand that already bears his name on Friday.
Wenger has had many close duels with Ferguson during his own remarkable 16 years with the Gunners but still holds his old adversary in the highest regard and expects United to struggle to replace him.
The Frenchman said: "I don't remember anybody else being at the top, top level for such a long time.
"In some ways it is scary as well because you think when this guy leaves the club, no matter of the quality of who comes in after him, it will be a huge hole.
"The club will be destabilised even if the guy who comes after him is top quality because the print of everything, the life of everything, revolves around Ferguson so much at Manchester United.
"He has to be immortal so the club doesn't suffer!
"His commitment is always there, you never feel that his commitment is weakened.
"What I admire maybe the most in him is his forward-thinking. He is always ready to move with the times and never speaks about what he has done before.
"He knows when to renew the team, when you have to make changes, and that is exceptional because you can sometimes be a little bit lazy when you have so much success.
"He's never been like that, he's always on his toes and he can renew what is needed, when it is needed.
"It is a job where you need to dedicate your life to football and Ferguson has done that and that deserves massive respect.
"He has won absolutely everything and, of course, that is something exceptional."
Ferguson won the first of his 12 Premier League titles with United in 1993 and has also overseen Champions League success twice. There have also been five FA Cup wins.
