Sir Alex Ferguson, manager of the Manchester United football team, has linked his fortunes to a new property investment company chaired by Mark Tagliaferri, a former director of Terra Firma, Guy Hands' private equity firm.

The new company is called Active Asset Investment Management. Ferguson's high-profile will attract the attention of the footballers, high net worth individuals and the trustees of pension funds, the target audience of the new company. He is only an investor in the company, however. He said: "I became involved on the basis of advice. I have known Tagliaferri for a few months."