Gill On Working With Sir Alex

David Gill speaks to MUTV about life with Sir Alex...

As chief executive, I'm involved in all areas but the key working relationship is with the manager at any club. My relationship with Alex has developed over the years. We both have formal meetings and things like that but it's very much built on an informal working relationship, built up on trust over that period. We trust each other implicitly and I think it's been of benefit to Manchester United.

In the world of sport, where things are measured in very short time-frames, to be at one club for 25 years is obviously phenomenal. I think all the usual adjectives and superlatives quite rightly apply in this situation. Frankly, it's amazing to maintain that motivation and hunger for success in a very demanding environment for 25 years and it's quite rightly regarded as a brilliant achievement. I think his record is there for everyone to see. He's managed to sustain that level of success over that period by reinventing the team. Players clearly haven't got a shelf-life of 25 years so he's managed to change teams at appropriate times and deliver sustained success.

The world of sport these days is so competitive and to continue that over that period, I think is truly fantastic. He is clearly as the media see him - very motivated, competitive and wants to win. All those attributes let him have that success but, at the same time, he's witty with a good sense of humour. He's also interested in other areas like racing, fine wines and American history. I think he's got a lot of interests outside of football and he's also a very generous man in terms of support for other managers who have fallen on hard times. He retains friendships for many, many years and his attendance at funerals is probably one of the highest in the country, recognising people who have been in his life and honouring them when they sadly pass away. He has many, many attributes much wider than the driven man you see on TV week in and week out.

He's very supportive, very loyal and, at the same time, he's very black and white with firm opinions. Most successful people do have firm opinions and stick to them. Certainly, it'll be difficult to replace him - it's naive to say anything other than that but we are a great club whose values go back in history to our heritage to the 50s and 60s and the last 25 years with Alex. To continue with that, the new manager needs to understand those values and the vision for the club and must buy into that. The important point to make is the new manager, whenever that may be and whomever that may be, will be taking over a great, great club, in a great, great sport and Alex, in particular, will want to make sure he inherits a great squad. That's our goal - to make sure when the new manager comes in he does have a great squad to work with in terms of age and profile etc.

Alex's legacy to United is to my mind very clear - delivering an unprecedented period of success in the Manchester United way. By that, I mean attractive football using young players - both homegrown and buying players when necessary like Ronaldo and Rooney, but actually developing our own players. That record is there for everyone to see and that legacy is very clear also. Within that, he's made sure he's cemented United's position as one of the top clubs in world football. We're very well respected clearly in this country and around the world, you only have to see our following there on tour in America and Asia, plus in Europe when you speak to any other club. United are rightly held in very high esteem down in no small measure to what Alex has achieved in the last 25 years.

What adjectives would I use to describe Alex? Competitive, determined, generous and fascinating. All those sort of things - on and off the pitch. I wouldn't say I'm exempt from the hairdryer but I would say I can give as good as I get. The important thing I notice from Alex is there's been probably half a dozen of these hairdryer-type moments give and take over the last eight years as chief executive.

The important thing is he never sulks, he never carries it on and we move on. That's a great thing about Alex, he can have an opinion and blow his top but it's forgotten like that and I think that's the true measure of the man.