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LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - Alex Ferguson will leave English league champions Manchester United in 2002 despite the departure of Martin Edwards as chief executive and the manager's past hopes of a continued role. "I made it obvious for quite a while that I would like a role in the club," newspapers quoted the manager, who has said he will stand down in two years' time when his contract expires and he turns 60, as saying on Tuesday. "But I didn't hear anything from them so I started making plans. I've not been short of offers and I've got a lot of plans in various areas. "Over the last six months, my sons have been developing some ideas. Some are in football, but I am finished with management and coaching, that is without question." United said on Monday that the chief executive will be replaced on August 1 by his deputy Peter Kenyon, who said on Monday he wanted Ferguson to stay on. "When the time is right, we will sit down and discuss the options with Sir Alex," he said. The manager made clear that Edwards' attitude in the past had hardened his decision. Ferguson had hoped for a seat on the club's board and also said earlier this year that he wanted to continue at United in a new ambassadorial role. But Edwards was against Ferguson staying on, arguing that his continuing presence might be resented by whoever took over, much as Wilf McGuinness felt undermined by the lingering involvement of Sir Matt Busby in the 1970s. "Martin Edwards felt that I should not have any involvement at all with the club because it is the Sir Matt Busby syndrome. But I can't agree with that," said Ferguson. The long-serving Busby presided over United's first golden period with the "Busby Babes" and the club's first European Cup win of 1968. He stood down as manager in 1969 AT THE HELM Ferguson has been at the United helm for 14 years, managing the club to six premier league titles in the past eight years as well as the European Cup title in 1999. "It's a different bloody era," the Times quoted him as saying. "Sir Matt didn't have the media war you have today, he didn't have the size of club you have today. It's a different set of circumstances completely." "You would think that the club would want someone of experience to stay on. I wouldn't have wanted any involvement with the first team whatsoever and I said that to Martin Edwards. I'm not sure they could grasp the situation." Ferguson said he had now "come round to the idea of having a clean break. "I'm not asking for anything, I don't need to ask for anything. I shouldn't have to ask for anything. They haven't made an offer, so you make your plans. It's as simple as that." Edwards defended his record at the club, telling United's MUTV channel that football was about emotion and saying: "The days when I would have liked to be popular have long since gone. "When I took over in 1980 from my father, Manchester United were valued at 2 million pounds ($2.99 million). Today it is worth 950 million ($1.42 billion) and has been over 1 billion ($1.50 billion). That is tremendous success."

-- Anonymous, July 18, 2000