Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he has been impressed with the way Laurent Blanc has turned around the fortunes of the French national side.

The Frenchman enjoyed a two-year spell at Old Trafford during his playing career and Sir Alex believes the Frenchman  has a number of managerial qualities.

"The France team is more balanced and has become a winning team again," he told RMC Sport.

"As in 1998, it has established a balance between young and experienced players.

"When Laurent played in Manchester he followed our training methods very carefully.

"That's very intelligent and obviously he has qualities as a coach because he made Les Bleus a winning team again."

Blanc has been heavily linked with the Chelsea and Inter manager's positions after refusing to commit his future to France after this summer’s upcoming European Championships.