Jose Mourinho embraces the past as he invites Alex Ferguson to training

Jose Mourinho has revealed that Alex Ferguson has paid a number of visits to the club's training ground already this season.

Ferguson, who currently has a director role with the club he managed for 26 years, had stayed away from the Carrington base since he stepped down as manager in 2013. A lot was often made of the influence of the shadow cast by Ferguson on his successors, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, and whether the new Old Trafford incumbents could handle the pressure of succeeding the Scot. This does not seem to bother Mourinho, however, as he revealed to United We Stand that Ferguson has already been to club's training ground this season at Mourinho's request.

"He had not been back since he left, but I brought him back to be with his people. I wanted the players to see the big man and for me and him to share some minutes and have lunch together. I enjoyed it, he enjoyed it."

Mourinho clearly thinks that the presence of the former United manager can benefit the players and he also revealed that Ferguson is welcome to the club as much as he wants in the future.

"I'm the type of person who does not see ghosts. I respect the past and I know he loves the club. We have good relations and I know this is his house. When he wants to come here, to the dressing room, to see the players train, he knows he is more than welcome."

United are currently enjoying a rich vein of form as they are now up to sixth in the Premier League table after recording the fourth successive league victory over Sunderland.