Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that his strict approach to management may have cost the club Premier League titles.

The Scotsman, who retired in 2013, had a prolific 27 years in charge at Old Trafford having guided the club to 13 league titles.

During his reign, the 73-year-old locked horns with a number of players, including David Beckham, Jaap Stam and Roy Keane, and Ferguson has now admitted that the club may have won more silverware had he taken a different approach.

In his new book Leading, Ferguson said: "People will give a manager plenty of opportunities to crack the whip so it's best to pick and choose your moments.

"You don't have to dish out a punishment very often before everyone gets the message. I place discipline above all else and it might have cost us several titles, but if I had to repeat things I'd do it precisely the same because discipline has to come before anything else."

Ferguson's latest book will be released on September 22.