Sir Alex Ferguson
 Sir Alex Ferguson will take a up his post at Harvard University in May

Sir Alex Ferguson has been appointed to take on a teaching role at the prestigious Harvard Business School.

The former Manchester United Manager, who left Old Trafford last season after 26 years in charge, will lecture senior executives as part of the Ivy league university's new Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports program.

Ferguson, 72, will begin his "long-term" teaching position in May. He is said to be "delighted" at the opportunity.

In 2012, Harvard Business School professor Anita Elberse used the most successful British manger of all time as part of a case study entitled Sir Alex Ferguson: Managing Manchester United.

Since then, the pair have collaborated on an analysis of his methods, which saw him win a total of 49 trophies in his career, 38 of which he won with Manchester United.

"We look forward to welcoming Sir Alex Ferguson on the HBS campus to share his remarkable leadership journey, and contribute to our Executive Education participants' ability to make a profound difference in the world," said Elberse.

Ferguson added: "The time I have already spent at Harvard has been a stimulating experience and I look forward to developing my relationship and activities with the students, faculty and friends of the Harvard Business School community."