Manchester United great Sir Alex Ferguson still wants to knock Liverpool off their perch

With United heavy favourites in the Europa League, Ferguson appears excited at the prospect of finally overhauling United's great rivals' trophy haul

Sir Alex still wants his former side to overhaul Liverpool (Getty)

He may be long retired but it appears Sir Alex Ferguson still wants to knock Liverpool off their perch.

The legendary former Manchester United manager famously described his greatest challenge as “knocking Liverpool right off their f***ing perch" back in 2002.

And it appears the Scot hasn’t softened in the years since with United now tied with their great rivals on 41 major trophies following the EFL Cup win last month.

With United in the last eight of the Europa League and heavy favourites to take the trophy home, for the first time in their history, in Stockholm in May Ferguson appears excited at the prospect of finally overhauling the Reds.

"Your CV gets bigger,” he told ESPN FC. “If we won the Europa League? Fantastic. Add it to the European Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup, the Champions League - it's bigger and bigger.

“We also want to be the most successful club in England."

United have never won the Europa League either in its current incarnation or in its guise as the UEFA Cup previously.

But with Champions League qualification an added bonus of winning this year’s tournament Ferguson believes Jose Mourinho should turn his full attention to it as the season reaches its climax.

"The thing is, we've never won the Europa League,” he added. “We've never won the UEFA Cup, what it used to be. And we've got a great draw. I'm not saying it's a certainty, but they've got a great chance.

Ferguson is United's most successful-ever manager (Getty)

"It gets you into the Champions League, too -- it didn't used to but it does now, and so that's a great incentive. And there's no Sevilla in it, so that's good.

"If you win a trophy, it's important. It's a European trophy. It doesn't matter that it's not the Champions League -- it's still a European trophy. And if you win it, you get into the Champions League. The incentive is greater to do that.”