Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson meets engineers of tomorrow

Legendary Manchester United Football Club manager Sir Alex Ferguson visited the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre's pioneering apprenticeship training centre which will provide the next generation of world leading engineers. Sir Alex, who has guided Manchester United to become the world's largest club and won countless domestic and international honours, met apprentices already receiving training at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing and saw the site of the new multi-million pound AMRC Training Centre. The centre aims to create knowledge and manufacturing breakthroughs by equipping highly skilled workers who will go on to regenerate the region's and the UK's manufacturing industry. Ferguson, an apprentice tool maker in Glasgow before turning professional as a footballer, spoke to more than 200 staff and apprentices about his experiences, before signing items which will be buried in a time capsule. "What we need is businesses to have confidence in young people", said Sir Alex. "Manchester United is the best example of this. We believe in young people and it's amazing how they can surprise you.