Mark Hughes insists he hasn't joined Manchester City as a stepping stone to eventually taking over at Manchester United.

"I can't wait around for opportunities which may be one, two, five, 10 years down the line. If I'm successful here I don't need any stepping stones. It's all set up here. I did play for other clubs than Man United," he said.

"At Blackburn, to a certain extent, I raised the expectation myself, and the team did that, by our performances.

"We were near the bottom of the table when I arrived so the expectations were lower from that point of view.

"Here at City that expectation is always there. That's a huge thing for me. As a player I was used to that. There's a crackle of atmosphere before games, leading into games, the week building up to key games. That's what I want to experience again.

"As a football person that's an energy I thrive on."