Mourinho dying to succeed Sir Alex...he has plan for that!!

Jose Mourinho is convinced he will succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager.

The new Real Madrid coach has mapped out a managerial masterplan that takes him to Old Trafford when Ferguson steps aside.

Ferguson has twice hinted recently that he will quit United in two years and that will open the door for Mourinho's dramatic return to the Premier League.

Despite tensions between the pair when Mourinho was Chelsea boss, they are good friends and are in regular contact by telephone.

The Portuguese coach is plotting a path that takes him to Real Madrid to win La Liga before a sensational return to English football at United.

Mourinho set himself a target to pick up league titles in England, Italy and Spain as part of his long-term strategy to get the United job.

He has already achieved stunning success with Chelsea and Inter, but his dream is to manage the world's biggest football club.

His next stop is Real Madrid and he will start with the target of wrestling the title from Barcelona in his first season.

Although Real Madrid will be another short-term project for Mourinho, he has told friends he would be in it for the long-haul if he is offered the United job.

Mourinho initially feared United's suits may not see the controversial coach as the "right fit", but he has been assured that is not the case.

He has turned down approaches from Manchester City (twice) and soundings from Liverpool in order to keep the option of managing United open.

Instead he now wants to manage the world's biggest football clubs as part of a project that includes spells at Inter, Real Madrid and United.

Mourinho rejected Garry Cook's last summer and despite a remarkably discreet effort by City's standards in recent weeks, he is not interested.

The former Chelsea manager established himself as the most sought-after coach in Europe again after Inter's Euro triumph.

He remains big box office in England and he is confident that he will become United's manager when Ferguson retires.

Fergie hinted that he will quit in two years time during a speech at a sportsman's dinner held for Premier League referee Mark Halsey.