Sir Alex Ferguson has been revealed to be a secret fan of another legendary leader and motivator – US president Abraham Lincoln.
The United boss is fascinated by American history – particularly Lincoln, who was assassinated in 1865 after winning the Civil War and ending slavery.
A Reds source said Sir Alex, 68, is often seen on away-day journeys devouring books about the US War of Independence and Civil War.
And on United’s visit to the States last summer, he was given a tour of the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg by one of the country’s top historians.
The source explained: "Sir Alex has always been a political man. He was interested in British politics in the late 19th and early 20th century and especially the emergence of the Labour party.
"All of a sudden he started reading books about American history and it’s gone from there.
"I think he likes that Lincoln surrounded himself with his political enemies on his cabinet so he could keep a close eye on them."
While in America, the source said that Sir Alex was honoured to visit the Pennsylvania battlefield, where thousands perished in July 1863 as the northern Union triumphed over the southern Confederates after three bloodthirsty days.
It is also where Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg Address, a rousing speech to which Sir Alex, veteran of many a half-time call to arms, could probably relate.
The source said: "It was while we were in Philadelphia.
"One of the professors from one of the top universities took him on a visit and showed him around."
This summer the Reds’ pre-season itinerary includes a trip to Boston, where they will take on the aptly-named New England Revolution.
That will give Sir Alex the chance to visit the site of the famous Tea Party, where colonists furious at taxes from the ruling British government hurled tea bound for the motherland into the city’s harbour.
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The American civil war has obviously had an effect on him, and cascades down on his players and his own behaviour
Sir Alex Ferguson, after Tony Benn, the Greatest Prime Minister, we never had.
Abraham Lincoln has a canny resemblance to Mr Glazer me thinks lol
Aye, a lot of people think the US has no real history ( apropos Henry Ford's 'History is bunk' statement - and all that) but one only need to delve just a little to realise that the US and its people has major history that deserves serious study. Take Red Indian injustices, mass European immigration, the political turmoil, the war of idependence, ( and yes, the Civil War) - personal hardships, the making of livings etc. slavery,racism and those thousands of early pioneers that broke their backs to get the railroad from the east on through the Rockies and ultimately pushing their way through to the west coast. All credit to Fergie - It's nice to see he takes an interest a fascinating subject.