Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says his change of heart about retiring at the end of the season was a consequence of discussions with his family over Christmas.
"It was really (wife) Cathy's idea," Ferguson told today's Scotsmannewspaper.
"If she hadn't come up with it and the boys (his three sons) hadn't given full support, I would not have considered a change of mind. But I do have to confess that maybe it was an idea I was hoping deep down she would come up with."
His family's concern about a possible deterioration of his health because of the stress of the job was one of the main reasons for his original decision to retire at the end of the season.
The club announced on Tuesday that they were in negotiations to extend his contract, probably for two or three years, but Ferguson, 60, said that he would try to modify the job in future.
He recently said that he thought the club should have a two-tier management system on the continental model and added today: "I'll tailor it a little differently, reduce the workload a bit."