Former Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has revealed how Sir Alex Ferguson helped the Potters stay in the Premier League.

Pulis admits he sought the then Manchester United manager's advice after Stoke's promotion.

He told William Hill: “If you've got the best players in the world, then building from the back is fine, but the majority of teams don't," he added. “The bottom line is football is about winning and if you don't win football matches you aren't going to be in the job very long. You need to find out what your strengths are and play to them. Don't worry about what others do.

“When we got promoted at Stoke, I called Sir Alex Ferguson up and he said 'Tony, I've seen your team, I think you're going to struggle! Your best chance is making the Britannia a place no-one wants to go. If any of the top teams go there and praise you, you're not doing it right.'

“I never forgot it and as a result we narrowed the pitch in, grew the grass and brought Rory Delap into play. We found a way to win and it worked. I don't think I've ever been at a football stadium where the crowd and team were so together – we used to play the top teams at the place used to light up."