Roy Hodgson believes his long-term friendship with Sir Alex Ferguson has not been affected since he took charge at Liverpool.
Hodgson and Ferguson meet for the first time as managers of arch-rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday, but the Liverpool boss believes the occasion will be different from previous hostilities.
"I certainly regard him as a friend. Whether he regards me as a friend you'd have to ask him," Hodgson told reporters.
"I spoke to him in a jocular way, I asked him the question 'Does it mean now I've taken the Liverpool job that we don't speak to each other?' - he didn't put the phone down but he made some cutting remark.
"The friendship hasn't been affected by me becoming Liverpool manager.
"I'm sure he will offer me a glass of wine when I go to the game on Sunday and I'll offer him one when he comes here.
"But during the match there is no room for sentiment and I'll be hoping desperately things go our way and he'll be hoping things go his way."
Following the war of words between former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez and Ferguson in previous seasons, Hodgson has bucked the trend by praising his opposite number.
"The crowd turn up to watch the 22 actors on the field, not Alex or myself," he added.
"But I think Sir Alex is the greatest of my generation, certainly within English football.
"It is always difficult to compare with foreign managers and what they have done in other countries, but for me, in my working lifetime as a coach, I regard him as the greatest British manager."
Hodgson has acknowledged he is aware of the intensity of Sunday’s game and admits his record in similar encounters overseas has not always been prosperous.
"I've been involved in some big derbies in my career and you know how much they mean to the fans," said the former Inter Milan coach.
"It compares with Inter v Juventus. The Milan derby was a big occasion but the derby d'Italia was the real killer one, as it were.
"I didn't like losing in those games, which I did quite often. I did poorly so it would be nice to change that.
"This game certainly compares with that in terms of the interest it generates not only in the two cities but in the rest of the country.
"It transcends the north-western rivalry and becomes even global because both clubs are so big outside of England."
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