Scottish former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson praised Kevin Keegan, saying he built 'the greatest team in Newcastle's history', in response to his former rival's death on Monday at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer. Ferguson told 'Track Radio' on Tuesday: 'I had the utmost respect for him. We had many clashes when he was manager of Newcastle, but it must be said that the work he did there was wonderful.' He added: 'He revived that club, brought enthusiasm to it... the work he did, as well as bringing three great players to the club: Frenchman David Ginola, Colombian Faustino Asprilla, and Belgian Philippe Albert, and they added a touch of quality to the team. And I must say that the challenges we faced against Newcastle in that period with Manchester United were immense.' Although Newcastle did not win the league title during Keegan's era, who left his post eventually in 1997, Ferguson believes that team was the best in the club's history. He added: 'That period at Newcastle was full of passion and excitement. They also brought big players to the club, which added more quality, and I think that gave Newcastle the best team in its history.' Ferguson joined a wave of tributes to one of the most beloved figures in English football. The duo engaged in a fierce battle for supremacy in the English Premier League, when Manchester United dramatically snatched the title from Newcastle in 1996. Keegan's dissatisfaction with Ferguson's media comments in the final stages of the title race led to him sharply criticizing the Scot. But despite that disagreement, Ferguson maintained a friendly relationship with Keegan, the former Liverpool and England striker, whom the Scot admired for the outstanding work he did to rebuild Newcastle. Newcastle were threatened with relegation to the third division when Keegan took charge, but he saved them before leading them to promotion to the Premier League in 1993. Keegan made Newcastle an entertaining team with an attractive style of play that led them to strongly compete with Ferguson's team for the title.