Paul Ince is looking forward to doing battle with the man he rates as the best manager in the history of the game.

The Blackburn Rovers manager is the latest of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United alumni to join the ranks of Premier League management, joining Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce and Roy Keane as well as the likes of Steve McClaren and Brian Kidd, who went on to coach in the top flight after working for the Scot.

Blackburn welcome United to Ewood Park in tomorrow's evening kick-off and Ince cannot wait to take on last season's double winners. "This is the exciting thing about coming to the Premier League," Ince said. "It's a chance to pit yourself against the manager of all time, as far as I'm concerned.

"Fergie has such high standards. I played under a lot of managers but they don't come close. That is no disrespect to them because I don't think anybody does.

"But it's not about me and it's not about Alex Ferguson, it's about the 22 players that go out on the pitch and hopefully we will perform."

The former England captain long hoped to have a future on the touchline and he predicted that Ferguson's days of meeting former players may continue for some time to come. He expects the likes of Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand to join the next generation of top British managers.

"I always wanted to stay in football and when the Macclesfield job came up I thought I would see if I liked it," Ince said. And the more you do it, the more you like it.

"Brucey, Keano, Sparky [Hughes], even his son Darren, have all done well in management. Looking at Keano, I always thought he would be a manager with his characteristics, but the surprise is Sparky. He was always so quiet off the pitch - he wouldn't say boo to a goose. But he's turned out to be a great manager and I'm sure there are plenty more.

"I spoke to Giggsy the other day. He's taking his coaching badges and he wants to get involved too. It's a love of the game. I'd hate to wake up every morning with nothing to do; you can only play golf so many times.

"Once you get past 30 you do start to think, 'What am I going to do in three, four, five years?' It's the same with Robbie Fowler, he's doing his badges here with me because he's thinking that way and I'm sure the likes of Rio will think the same."

Ferguson says he is not surprised that Ince has made a success of management. "I was impressed with MK Dons last season and I was impressed with him." he said

"He has always had something about him. And the thing I like is that he has done his apprenticeship. It shows he had the confidence to go anywhere and manage."

He added: "When he was a player, Paul was stubborn and determined. He was a fighter on the pitch and he has taken them into management as well. He has had to suffer a bit of change this season and he could have done without losing David Bentley to Tottenham.

"But he has not panicked about it. He has got with the job and built up his own club. He has done well."

Ferguson's side could be without Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick tomorrow but Ince insists the sheer depth of United's squad means there is no such thing as a weak Manchester United. "They are the European champions, the Premier League champions and we are all too aware of the task ahead of us. But we relish it and we are looking forward to it.

"The injuries don't matter, they have a fantastic squad, not just 11 players. Anderson or Darren Fletcher could come in, Giggsy could start, so we're still talking about world-class players. Then there's [Dimitar] Berbatov and [Carlos] Tevez up front. No matter who they field it will be a huge, huge battle."