Stoke City skipper Ryan Shawcross has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him to stay put at Manchester United.

Despite being very highly rated, Shawcross left United for Stoke City during the summer of 2008 for a fee of around £1million and the 28-year-old has since developed into one of the best central defenders in the Premier League.

The Stoke skipper has shone some light regarding his departure from United and has revealed that former boss Ferguson actually wanted him to commit to the Old Trafford club while developing himself on temporary spells elsewhere.

The defender said: "He (Ferguson) wanted me to sign a new contract and then go out on loan.

"I wanted to end my career with over 500 games and if I'd have stayed at United that wouldn't have happened.

"It wasn't just me, better players than me left as well, like Gerard Pique."