Sir Alex Ferguson, Jurgen Klopp Honour Arsene Wenger as Departure Announced

Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp have both paid tribute to Arsene Wenger after the Arsenal manager announced he would step down from his position at the end of the season. 

Ferguson, who enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Wenger during his time at Manchester United, described him as "one of the greatest Premier League managers," as shown by ESPN:

Liverpool boss Klopp spoke of the respect he had for the Frenchman, as shown by Liverpool FC News:

Wenger arrived at Arsenal in September 1996 at a time when Manchester United were dominating the English top flight. Ferguson ended the Red Devils' 26-year wait for the league title in 1993 and had added two more by the time Wenger joined the Gunners.

Yet the Frenchman built a team that challenged United for honours and created an intense rivalry between the two clubs. Wenger claimed his first league crown in 1998 when he pipped Ferguson's team to top spot by just one point. The Frenchman guided Arsenal to two more titles as well as seven FA Cups during his stay in charge, and he could end this season with the UEFA Europa League title.

Football writer Sam Pilger said the two men spurred each other onto greater things:

One of Wenger's greatest achievements was guiding his team through an entire season unbeaten in 2003/04. Their 49-game unbeaten run eventually ended at Old Trafford in an acrimonious game after which pizza was thrown at Ferguson. Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas later said he was the culprit, per Daniel Zeqiri at the Telegraph.

Wenger also won the league at Old Trafford in 2001/02. The Gunners claimed a 1-0 victory at the home of the Red Devils, landing Wenger's second title which also became part of a second double.

Opta showed how Wenger and Ferguson's longevity is unmatched in the Premier League:

Klopp, meanwhile, has helped restore Liverpool to the UEFA Champions League after finishing fourth last season. Their performance was bad news for Arsenal as they finished fifth and missed out on qualification for Europe's top competition for the first time in Wenger's tenure.

Arsenal look destined to finish outside the top four again this season. They are currently sixth and 14 points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the final Champions League qualification spot.

Goal's Neil Jones said Klopp was always a big supporter of Wenger:

Wenger's announcement on Friday that he would be standing down after 22 years has come as a surprise to many. The club have slipped out of the top four and are without a league title since 2004, but he had been expected to continue for one more year.

The Frenchman is often credited with transforming English football, and the tributes that have been rolling in highlight just how highly he is regarded by his rivals.