Sir Alex Ferguson will play a pivotal role in the search for his successor at Manchester United once the club begin the process of finding a replacement for the most successful manager of his generation.

Although Ferguson said recently that he would not involve himself in the hunt for an heir to his throne, the Glazer family, who own United, and David Gill, the club's chief executive, plan to consult the Scot before making any decision.

Ferguson, 66, claimed in a television interview last month that he will have retired as United manager come the summer of 2010, giving him only two more seasons at the helm of a club he took charge of almost 22 years ago.

Gill said: “The owners and myself and people involved will obviously get his views. Somebody who has managed the club for so many years, who knows it inside out and who knows what is required would be invaluable. It would be remiss of us not to have a discussion with him and involve him and get his views. He will be a key part of the process.”

Although Ferguson's thoughts will be given careful consideration, the final decision will rest with the Glazers. “The owners will expect me to do the work, then they would get involved in the process of choosing the right man,” Gill said. “The manager is a key employee of the club and we need to get it right. Therefore, quite rightly, the people who own the club should have the final say.”

United have yet to begin discussing candidates, although men such as José Mourinho, the Inter Milan coach and former Chelsea manager, Martin O'Neill, of Aston Villa, and Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, are sure to crop up.

Ferguson has previously advocated the credentials of Carlos Queiroz, his former assistant, who left the Barclays Premier League and European champions this month to take over as Portugal coach, although the United manager has declined to be drawn on the matter when questioned in more recent times.

Either way, Gill is aware of the size of the task faced by Ferguson's successor. Speaking on United's pre-season tour to South Africa, Gill said: “It will be a big change, and without putting a deadline on it, time is getting closer. It is not an impossible task for a new manager, but, of course, a difficult one.

“What we have to do is plan the team appropriately and make sure it has the right age, etc, so that for anyone coming in, even though they would want to make their own changes, there would be no need to rock the boat too much. It would be naive to think it won't be a big change, but we are trying to put things in place that will make it as easy as we can.”

Gill believes that Ferguson is well aware of the role he can play in ensuring a smooth handover. “You don't work here for 20-odd years without falling in love with the club and he would like to make sure that he does what he can to make sure it is successful after he has gone,” Gill said. “He won't want the work he has done to go to waste.”

Gill is dismayed that Tottenham Hotspur opted to lodge a complaint with the Premier League about United's pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov, and about the fierce criticism of Ferguson from Daniel Levy, the North London club's chairman, although that is unlikely to deter them in their efforts to sign the Bulgaria striker. “We are going to wait and see what the Premier League do and take it from there,” Gill said.