Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says he regards Danny Welbeck as a long-term player.

Welbeck is in a contract dispute with United.

But Ferguson believes 21-year-old Welbeck's talent will develop in tandem with his physique, to create a top centre-forward.

"We've always known about Danny's ability since he was a kid," Sir Alex said. "But he had to go through all the various growth stages over the years. We were patient with that because we knew the end product was always going to be there."