Fulham defender Chris Smalling says he knows what Sir Alex Ferguson has planned for him at Manchester United next season.

The England U21 international will join United in the summer.

Smalling told The Sun: "I went up for a medical and had a chat to Sir Alex generally about the club. To be honest they don't have to do much of a selling job with it. We spoke about how I would develop, joining up in pre-season and being part of the first-team.

"When you go to a top club, you know there will be world-class centre-halves. Sir Alex said he hopes I will start strongly in pre-season and hopefully I can deliver. In the treatment room I met up with Owen Hargreaves and John O'Shea, who are injured. Rio and Michael Carrick were around, too.

"Rio said 'You're from my neck of the woods, so don't worry. There's a few of us up here'.

"He said he'd help me settle in and that life in Manchester is good. It will be strange moving up North. I moved to Kent as a kid but that's only an hour-and-a-half away even now.

"I can look after myself though and am a decent cook.

"My brother Jason is delighted by the whole thing.

"He is a Manchester United fan and his first reaction to my signing was that he is angling for a free season ticket!"