Former Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish has revealed how Manchester United almost signed Jack Grealish as a junior.

McLeish admits United tried to poach Grealish in 2012 when the teenager and his family even dined at Rio Ferdinand's table at his Manchester restaurant Rosso.

But McLeish, who managed Villa in 2011/2012, and then-academy chief Bryan Jones convinced the club to give the gifted schoolboy a bumper contract.

He told the Mirror: “Bryan told me Jack's contract was coming up and he was getting courted by Man United. All the heads of department at Aston Villa discussed it in a meeting and I agreed with Bryan Jones 100 per cent that we had to keep him.

“Maybe it was unprecedented money we were giving to an academy kid. But it has turned out to be a great bit of business for Aston Villa.

“I used to go down and watch the academy games and he was a precocious young talent and something you treasure.

“He stood out and wore his socks down even then. I remember his dad came in my office and we said we would do everything we could to make Jack happy and stay at Aston Villa.

“We concocted getting him on the bench against Chelsea just to give him a taste.

“But the next month on the same day the first team were at Old Trafford, Jack and an agent were seen at Rio Ferdinand's restaurant that night.

“I am sure Jack was really happy being wanted by other massive teams but you knew his heart was at Villa. It was just a case of sorting out a suitable package."