Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he considered working abroad but the appeal of Manchester United proved too strong.

The Scotsman reflected on his decision to stay at Old Trafford ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash away to Fulham, when he pits his wits against Roy Hodgson, whose coaching CV reads like a travel brochure.

While Ferguson has managed United for the past 21 years, Hodgson has coached in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates and Finland.

"Roy Hodgson has done what a lot of us would love to have done and work abroad, " Ferguson said. "I always remember Bobby Robson saying that the best thing he ever did was go to PSV Eindhoven, Sporting Lisbon, Porto and Barcelona. He was out of the country for maybe 10 or 12 years. Working in different climates with different cultures definitely broadens your education.

"I remember meeting Roy Hodgson in Malmo in 1987 when I had just joined Manchester United. Malmo were playing Ajax in the European Cup. Over the years he has gone to Inter Milan, Switzerland, Finland, Udinese, Blackburn etc... it's incredible all the teams that he has managed. You can see when he's interviewed he knows what he is talking about.

"Sometimes I used to say to myself 'I'd love to have tried managing abroad sometime, but then it was difficult for me. My choices were cut off simply because I was the manager of Manchester United, which is amazing, and you don't leave Manchester United."

Ferguson, whose United side are three points behind leaders Arsenal in the table, is very optimistic about the future of his club given the array of talent he has at his disposal.

"The players have that joy of being at a club with a lot of ambition," he said. "It is good to see young players having the energy and the commitment to try and enjoy themselves.

We work hard at making sure that they are relaxed in that respect with a responsibility to use their talents all the time to express themselves. We are fortunate in that it is easier for them than a lot of other players because they are exceptional talents."

Ferguson will monitor the fitness of Ryan Giggs, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra before the match against Fulham. Giggs missed the 5-1 victory at Newcastle because of slight knee injury sustained in the Champions League draw against Lyon. Vidic suffered a calf strain at St James' Park, while Evra came off with a stomach virus.