Sir Alex Ferguson's stunning prediction from opening day resurfaces and is being called 'one of the best ever'

Sir Alex Ferguson was questioned after he gave an opening day prediction that no-one else made - but the Manchester United legend has been proven exactly right.

It has been 11 years since the Scot officially retired from football management, leaving United after winning his 13th and final Premier League trophy with the club.

Ferguson, now 82, now makes rare television appearances when it comes to football, although the Scot is still involved with United as a director and club ambassador.

On the opening weekend of the current Premier League season, Ferguson made an appearance on NBC Sports - and was asked about which team had impressed him most in the campaign's first gameweek.

He said: "To be honest with you, I watched Aston Villa against Newcastle, and I can't believe the scoreline.

"Honestly, Aston Villa played fantastic football, and just lost bad goals.

Newcastle are going to be very difficult to beat, in their own ground in particular, and the manager [Eddie Howe] has done a great job there.

"But it's a surprising game, football. I mean, you can play teams off the pitch but you don't score, and that's what happened to Aston Villa."

Ferguson's comment surprised some fans, given that Villa were thrashed 5-1 by Newcastle at St James' Park.

But the game was closer than the scoreline suggested, with Newcastle having 17 shots at goal compared to Villa's 16.

Eddie Howe's side were simply far more clinical, converting five of their 13 shots on target, while a season-ending knee injury suffered by Villa's Tyrone Mings in the first half undoubtedly affected the side's mindset and balance.

Nine months on from Ferguson's verdict, meanwhile, Unai Emery's side have secured Champions League football for the first time since 1982 - the year they lifted their first and only European Cup.

They finished second in the Premier League in 1992/93, but the newly-reformed Champions League only accepted league winners at that point.

Villa are guaranteed to finish in fourth place after Spurs' 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday - their highest finishing position since their fourth-placed finish in the 1995/96 season.