Sir Alex Ferguson has said he wished Tony Adams, Jamie Carragher and Gianfranco Zola had played for him, tipping Liverpool legend Carragher to become a successful manager.
Ferguson failed in early attempts to lure Adams to Old Trafford and said he was "a Manchester United player in an Arsenal shirt."
He admired Adams, Arsenal's most successful captain, and Liverpool defender Carragher for their resolve, feeling both had made the most of their ability.
"I think Tony Adams was a United player in an Arsenal shirt," Ferguson told Sky Sports.
"I thought he'd be absolutely perfect for United. I tried a little bit when he was 19, in the reserves, but no chance.
"Those two [Adams and Carragher] are examples of how far you can go in the game when you have the inner determination and desire to be successful.
"You see the careers they had -- marvellous."
Adams and Carragher were one-club men and stand second in Arsenal and Liverpool's all-time appearance charts with 669 and 737 games respectively.
Carragher and Ferguson have established a rapport after the 73-year-old wrote the Merseysider a letter when he retired as a player in 2013, with the former defender responding by arranging a meeting.
Although Carragher is currently working as a media pundit, Ferguson feels he should have a future in the dugout.
"I think he's got a career. He's also in television but he'd make a good manager. He's got the material," he said.
While Ferguson respected Adams and Carragher for their determination, he said he had always enjoyed Zola's skill and high spirits when he lined up for Chelsea.
"He annoyed me," he said. "He was one of those players who was unperturbed about who he was playing against.
"You would always see a smile on his face, and that annoyed me. I said: 'How can he be enjoying himself playing against United? Nobody else does.'
"But he was a fantastic player. I loved watching him. He was an enjoyable player. For me to say that about an opponent tells how much I admire him."