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After a quarter of a century covering Manchester United and Manchester City, my time at the Daily Mirror has come to an end.

In terms of longevity, my stint is almost up there with Sir Alex Ferguson's 26-and-a-half year reign at United, the second half of which I was privileged to witness first-hand.

Dealing with arguably the greatest manager of all time was a unique experience, with press conference bans and blasts of Fergie's infamous 'hairdryer' temper a regular occupational hazard.

Indeed, if you hadn't been banned by Fergie, you were not deemed to be doing your job properly.

Despite his fierce public persona, there was a lighter side to Fergie. After leading United to the title in 2013 before stepping down, champagne was poured for reporters at his press conference.

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As ever with Fergie, there was a sting in the tail, waiting until everybody had taken a sip before delivering the killer line: "Don't worry, I've got the police waiting at the end of the road to breathalyse you all!"

‌When the Mirror reported a spy plane flying low over United’s training ground, to get intel on their tactics, Fergie could not resist a playful dig.

When I asked Fergie about the plane, he burst into laughter. “I saw you flying it,” he said, using his hands as a pair of flying goggles. “I could see you up there - Biggles McDonnell! Biggles of the Mirror!”

A succession of managers have tried and failed to emulate his remarkable success and, as Fergie's reign was coming to an end, the Blue Moon was rising on the other side of Manchester.

City emerged from the shadow of their more illustrious neighbours to begin a period of their own domestic domination and emulated United's 1999 Treble triumph in 2023, under the peerless Pep Guardiola.

For sheer drama, nothing beats Sergio Aguero's 94th-minute winner for City to snatch the title on goal difference from local rivals United with virtually the last kick of the 2011-12 season, with the Red Devils already celebrating another famous triumph.

The best game? A tough one, given there have been so many epic encounters, but it probably has to be the breathless Manchester derby of 2009, a Michael Owen goal in added time sealing a dramatic 4-3 win for United at Old Trafford, after which Fergie infamously branded City the “noisy neighbours”.

The best goal? Again, too many to choose from, but for sheer audacity and technical brilliance, Wayne Rooney's spectacular 35-yard volley against Newcastle in 2005, while Cristiano Ronaldo's bullet header away to Roma in 2008 – I still can't fathom how he made up so much ground to reach the ball – remains an iconic goal.

So after more than 1,000 games at home and abroad, six World Cups, three European Championships and 23 pre-season tours, not to mention half a dozen bans from Fergie, the time has come to say farewell.

Thanks for reading over the past two-and-a-half decades. What a ride it's been!

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