Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have both been inducted into the Hall of Fame. AFP/VNA Photo

Paul Kennedy

Rivalries are healthy in sports, especially in football. In my mind, they make it all worthwhile.

There’s no better feeling than beating your closest ‘enemy’ and, at the time, winning makes up for all the occasions you’ve lost to your rival.

At its peak, the rivalry between Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger, was as nasty as it got.

There was no love lost between the pair, and although I don’t know them personally, I imagine that back in the days when they were both going head to head, they hated each other.

Insults between the two bosses flew back and forth, and so did a slice of pizza on one occasion.

The problems began in 1996, not long after Wenger arrived in English football from Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan with a reputation for being an academic.

‘They say he’s an intelligent man, right? Speaks five languages? I’ve got a 15-year-old boy from Ivory Coast who speaks five languages,’ Ferguson commented caustically.

Their relationship certainly got off on the wrong foot and continued to slide in the time that followed.

Sir Alex’s annoyance with the Frenchman continued, especially when Wenger claimed that United were given preferential treatment by the Premier League over scheduling.

‘He’s a novice and should keep his opinions to Japanese football,’ snapped the United boss.

As Wenger’s reign became more successful, and he built an Arsenal team that was good enough to challenge United’s dominance, their relationship became even more prickly.

Ferguson is a winner, and would go into battle with anyone who threatened his team. As Arsenal began to decline on the pitch and Chelsea became the biggest threat to United, the Scot began to mellow.

Five years ago, when Wenger managed Arsenal at Old Trafford for the final time, his old sparring partner greeted him with a warm hug, and went on to present him with a silver vase to mark the occasion.

Earlier this week, it was announced the two giants of the Premier League will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and rightly so.

Their rivalry made the Premier League brilliant in the early 2000s. The hatred between the two managers spilled down to the fans, and of course the players.

Remember Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira in the tunnel at Highbury in 2005 before United took on Arsenal? Who could forget?

I’ve seen interviews with Keane and Vieira together since they hung up their boots, and although I doubt the two former captains are BFFs, there is no doubt a clear respect between the two.

Sir Alex and Arsene I believe have that same amount of respect today. And to see them both recognised for their achievements, at the same time, is a wonderful thing.

I doubt we’ll ever see such intense rivalry over such a long period ever again. And that’s a shame.