New Stoke City boss Mark Hughes admits a chat with Sir Alex Ferguson convinced him about taking the Potters post.

Hughes admitted an hour-long chat with Sir Alex helped him through his nightmare months after being sacked by QPR last November.

Hughes said: "I had the opportunity to go and speak to Sir Alex for an hour, which I hadn't done for many years, and I enjoyed it. You do wonder if you've still got it. That's understandable - at times you have self-doubt.

"But I was just really pleased to be in his company because it's something I should have done more in the past.

"I understood the value it gave me. I left feeling better."