Sir Bobby and Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford for the Fifa visit

Manchester United legends Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson have thrown their backing behind England's 2018 World Cup bid.

The two United greats gave Fifa's 2018 World Cup bid inspectors a guided tour of Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Afterwards, Sir Bobby said he would love to see World Cup football played on Manchester United's ground.

But Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn was cautious after inspectors visited his club, saying work was still to be done.

The six-man Fifa inspection team toured Sunderland's Stadium of Light and Newcastle's St James' Park before flying by helicopter to Old Trafford.

The Fifa inspectors had already visited potential 2018 venues in London where, earlier in the week, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg described England's bid as "unbeatable".

But after the visit of inspectors to the Stadium of Light, former Republic of Ireland striker Quinn was more cautious.

He said he hoped the passion for the game in the North East would be in inspectors' minds when they write up their report of the visit.

But he questioned whether all the "right boxes" had been ticked.

"Have we done that?" he said. "I can't possibly say. There will be more work to be done between now and the first week in December."

England duo Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand joined Sir Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson in welcoming Fifa inspectors to Old Trafford after their visit to the North East.

Sir Alex Ferguson welcomes Fifa inspectors

Old Trafford is one of the major venues in the 2018 bid and few know the stadium better than the four United stars.

And Charlton, who was part of England's unsuccessful 2006 World Cup bid, admitted to feeling emotional about the ground.

He said: "I was pleased we were able to bring the inspectors to see a ground which has produced so many great moments.

"When I walk on the pitch and think of the generations of fans that have been here through the years, cheering on some of the best players the world has ever seen, it is hard not to get emotional.

"Games at this ground have inspired people all over the world for generations and I would love to see World Cup matches played here in 2018 so it can inspire even more."

His sentiments were backed by Manchester United striker Rooney, who is an official bid ambassador.

He said: "I'm hoping I'll still be at the top of my game in 2018 and would love to play World Cup football in front of a home crowd.

"It would be my last World Cup, probably, my last opportunity to play in a World Cup, and there would be no better place to be than in England - but it still seems a long way away.

"I saw Euro 96 and that was brilliant to watch and hopefully we can do better in 2018 and I can be a part of it."

The Fifa team had already made visits to venues in London, where they were kept out of the media spotlight.

Representatives from all the host cities, including London Mayor Boris Johnson, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis and Liverpool chief executive Christian Purslow, were involved.

The Fifa team were also given presentations on hotels, transport and security before going on a boat journey along the Thames, after which they visited the O2 Arena, the proposed venue for the final draw.

Howard Webb, the 2010 World Cup final referee, also met the inspectors on Wednesday at the City of Manchester Stadium which is also a proposed 2018 venue.

He said: "Here in England there is such a passion for the game, we have packed stadiums and a great atmosphere - I know people who make an annual pilgrimage from abroad to watch a Premier League match.

"To have the ultimate tournament here would be a really positive thing and would leave a big legacy."

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