Former Manchester United defender Ryan Shawcross has revealed he was offered a four-year contract by the club in 2008 but opted to leave in search of first-team football.
The defender joined United at the age of 15 and progressed through the club's academy to make his first-team debut in 2006, aged 19, against Crewe in the League Cup.
Shawcross was later loaned to Stoke City for six months and the Potters were eager to see him join permanently.
The former England international revealed United offered him a new four-year contract but he made it clear he wanted to depart.
His decision meant he was banished from first-team training by then manager Sir Alex Ferguson until his transfer to Stoke was completed.
"Yes, I was offered a new four-year contract to stay at United," Shawcross told the Stoke Sentinel.
"But I didn’t see a pathway through to the first team.
"I just wanted to play first-team football and wanted to sign for Stoke, so I was then banished to train on my own at United before eventually signing for Stoke.
"I was absolutely terrified of [Ferguson], to be honest. Everyone was.
"But he was an unbelievable man-manager, and I put so much down to him and the people at Man United.
"Not only is it one of the biggest clubs in the world, it has huge standards off the pitch too, and that’s something I am massively into – always have been."
