Gary Neville has said that Sir Alex Ferguson's reputation as a confrontational character in football is a "myth".

Manchester United manager Ferguson, who announced his decision to retire earlier this week, has forged a status as a reactionary firebrand throughout his 27 years at the helm at Old Trafford.

However, Neville has said that such theories are wide of the mark and that Ferguson only engages in conflict when it is absolutely necessary.

"He could talk to his players on all manner of different subjects, far beyond football, and the myth he is someone always looking for confrontation is absolutely wrong," Neville wrote in his Daily Mail column.

"The idea he is somebody who is continually abrasive is absolutely incorrect. He is a very relaxed individual, somebody who until a few years ago would join in warm-up drills, where two players try to get the ball back from eight players who are passing it around.

"Training had to be hard, it had to be 100 per cent. But it was a relaxed environment, with fun and enjoyment because for him it was important the players were not inhibited."

Neville retired from United in 2011.