Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross is grateful for the football education he received at Manchester United.

He was schooled at Manchester United, picking up good habits from ultra-professionals such as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane.

Shawcross was behind Gerard Pique and Johnny Evans in the pecking order at United, securing first team football with Stoke in 2008 after a successful loan spell under Tony Pulis.

He told the News of the World: "Pique has been fantastic for Barcelona, Evans is the next United central defender so I didn't stand a chance.

"If I'm honest they were better than me at the time. I was more like Nemanja Vidic, a brick wall kind of player. They were more cultured, especially Pique.

"Where I was brought up there as always something more. At United it's the way. When you're 12 years old the other academy players turn up half an hour early to do ball work and they stay half an hour after the session.

"It's always drilled into you from a young age and that's why they bring so many through.

"You can tell the players who have been brought through an academy, they pick up good habits. Robert Huth came through at Chelsea, he's always doing something extra.

"You can tell the lads who were brought up the right way, they don't want a day off."