Asian fans from Singapore to Shanghai on Thursday praised Alex Ferguson's role in bringing Premier League soccer to the region's masses, after his shock retirement as Manchester United manager.

As the club's millions of Asian fans absorbed the news, splashed on front and back pages across the continent, they applauded Ferguson's regular visits and his signings of Park Ji-sung and Shinji Kagawa.

"Whatever else he has done, he has brought football to Asia, to the people, because not many people can afford to go to Old Trafford," said Laurence How, secretary of Malaysia's official supporters club.