Scottish club Aberdeen will honour the greatest manager in their history with a bronze statue of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 79-year-old legendary Scot will be immortalised by the end of this year outside the Richard Donald stand at Pittodrie after giving the club his blessing for the tribute.

Ferguson led Aberdeen to victory over Real Madrid in the Cup Winner’s Cup Final of 1983 in Gothenburg.

And it was in that very same city, ahead of Thursday night’s Europa Conference League second leg against BK Hacken, that chairman Dave Cormack made the announcement.

He said: “Sir Alex’s contribution to the club was immense and it’s fitting that we honour him in this way.

“His arrival at Pittodrie heralded the start of the most successful period in the club’s history and put Aberdeen firmly on the football map of Europe.

“The year after next marks the 40th anniversary of our European Cup Winners Cup triumph in Gothenburg, along with winning the European Super Cup, so while this honour is long overdue, it comes at a fitting time.

“We began exploring the idea of a series of statues to recognise those legends who have made a lasting impact on the club, over 18 months ago, but the process stalled due to the pandemic.

“It’s now very much back on our agenda and, when it came to deciding the subject of the first one, there was of course only one option, Sir Alex Ferguson.”

Ferguson added: “I am thrilled and honoured by this recognition from Aberdeen Football Club, where I spent a fantastic and memorable part of my managerial career.

“I am particularly pleased with the image the club has chosen to base the statue on and with the choice of sculptor whose recent work is incredibly lifelike. I can’t wait to see it!”

During his eight-year spell at Aberdeen, Ferguson won three Scottish league titles, four Scottish Cup, one Scottish League Cup, one European Cup Winners’ Cup (defunct) and one European Super Cup.

He left Aberdeen in 1986 and joined Manchester United where he also has a statue.