Lee Sharpe admits he's an original Sir Alex Ferguson discovery at Manchester United.

Sharpe was signed by Ferguson as a 17 year-old from Torquay United and was quickly promoted to the first team initially as a left-back before being pushed into his natural left-winger role.

The former England international spent eight years at Old Trafford (1988-96), winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, a League Cup and the European Cup Winner's Cup.

Sharpe was also named Young Player of the Year for the 1990/91 season, though admits when Ferguson came in for him, it was the only offer he'd ever received!

"Yeah, I had no other offers, it came out of the blue," Sharpe recalled to Tribalfootball.com. "I played on a Friday night for Torquay, then the manager and chairman came around to my digs and said 'We've just had a meeting with Alex Ferguson and Archie Knox and Manchester United have put an offer in'.

"It was the first time I had heard of any offer for me. Or even anyone watching me or being interested.

"I met the manager (Ferguson) on Saturday morning. We shook hands and that was it.

"Torquay did try contacting some clubs for me, but no-one showed an interest. It was really only Man Utd."

And on that breakthrough from moving from left-back to left-wing, Sharpe added: "Yeah, I was always a left-winger. But when I was 17 and most of the time at 18 I was played at left-back.

"Then when I got to 19 and I scored those goals at Highbury (a hat-trick at Arsenal), then that was it. That was my position from then."

- Lee Sharpe was speaking to Tribalfootball.com on behalf of InstantCasino.com.