Fergie Keen For Trio To Stay

Sir Alex Ferguson wants Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs to remain at the club as coaches once their playing days are over.

The long-serving trio have all signed one-year deals that will take them to the end of next season, but the Red Devils boss says their level of experience is too good to pass up and wants them to stay at the club.

Ferguson believes the veterans can inspire young players who are coming through the United academy.

"They are the living proof for young players that the United system allows players to succeed," he told The Mail on Sunday.

"When they stop playing, they will stay. All three are taking their coaching diplomas. I don't think the club will pass up that much experience."

With futher acquisitions of 20-year-old defender Chris Smalling from Fulham and strikers Javier Hernandez and Mame Biram Diouf, aged 21 and 22 respectively, Ferguson is already looking towards the future as well as the club's bid to bring back the Premier League title to Old Trafford next season.

"I anticipate over time the departures of the souls of the club, and the likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, who are over 30. Nemanja Vidic has had some physical problems," said Ferguson.

"Chris Smalling has huge potential as a centre-half, and he's only 20. In two or three years' time he'll be at the top. As for Mame Biram Diouf, you have to watch hundreds of strikers before you find one who can win matches.

"When you find him, you sign him."

Fergie To Help Find Successor

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson 'will be the key' to selecting his successor at Old Trafford, says chief executive David Gill.

Ferguson has been at the helm of United for 23 years, helping them to 34 trophies including 11 League titles and two European crowns.

And Gill insists United will seek Ferguson's advice on a successor when the Scot decides to end his long reign, but is adamant the 68-year-old has made no suggestion of retiring anytime soon.

"We don't know when Alex is going to retire and long may he continue," Gill told The Independent.

Gill revealed when Ferguson does stand down, he will form a selection panel with Sir Bobby Charlton and the club's owners to find a suitable replacement.

"It will be discussed with Alex, Bobby Charlton and the owners," added Gill.

"I think Alex will be the key. He knows people. He will have a big role in advising and being a sounding board. I am sure we will talk with the owners and look at who is there and determine who we would like to appoint.

"It would be remiss of us not to use the expertise and knowledge that we have."

Gill revealed a "small pool" of likely candidates were already on the club's radar, but refused to discuss the names of those managers.

When asked whether Jose Mourinho, who is poised to be officially appointed as Real Madrid manager next week, would make the shortlist, Gill admitted he was impressed by the Portuguese coach's successful record.

"He has certainly got something about him," added Gill, "He's a winner."

But Gill insists United would rebuff any approach from Mourinho for striker Wayne Rooney once the manager takes over at Real.

The Portuguese boss has expressed his interest in signing the former Everton player to the Spanish media, but Gill has rubbished the idea of the England forward moving to the Bernabeu.

"He won't go there. He won't want to go there," he added. "There may be some noise around it. I don't care."

Anti-Glazer Fight To Persist

Manchester United's anti-Glazer campaigners are refusing to believe the club's owners do not want to sell.

On Friday, the Glazer family confirmed they had no interest in offloading the club despite pressure from disapproving fans who are critical of their methods.

Their statement seemed to end any hope of the Red Knights consortium buying them out as they wish to reduce the huge debts incurred by the Glazer family's takeover in 2005.

However, the Manchester United Supporters Trust, who launched the successful green and gold campaign at the start of the year, are refusing to back down, insisting they will carry on their fight.

"The last time Manchester United was 'Not For Sale' was back in 2005 and what happened next - the Glazer family bought it," said MUST chairman Duncan Drasdo.

"It is clear from the reactions on the Manchester United message boards that supporters are not buying into the spin coming out through the Glazers' PR machine.

"If the club really isn't for sale why would they need to say anything at all? Why are they so concerned about telling everyone they don't want to sell? If they don't want to sell they can simply reject any offer. It sounds like the gentleman doth protest too much."

Should a Red Knights' bid be turned down, MUST are expected to call for a boycott of season tickets and other merchandise in an effort to hit the Glazers' various income streams.

Yet United have appeared increasingly bullish about the effect such a call would have, with chief executive David Gill recently claiming the sale of season tickets was virtually in line with expectations and not giving any hint of a potential problem.

Certainly there appears little that is going to shake the Glazers from their position, having reported a reduction in the overall debt to £520million and growth in all areas, with the exception of a relatively minor £1million decline in matchday income.

"The board noted recent press speculation regarding a possible bid for Manchester United," the statement read.

"The owners remain fully committed to their long-term ownership of the club.

"Manchester United is not for sale and the owners will not entertain any offers."

Gill - Money Is Not An Issue

Manchester United chief executive David Gill insists there are no restrictions on Sir Alex Ferguson in the transfer market.

After the £80million sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Ferguson failed to re-invest the majority of the proceeds, causing discontent among supporters who saw the move as servicing the financial burden brought on the club by owner Malcolm Glazer and his family.

Ferguson's claims that there was "no value in the market" after the huge fees paid by the likes Real Madrid and Manchester City distorted an already inflated market were met by scepticism by the Old Trafford faithful.

However, Gill claims that Ferguson will definitely have the funds to spend in the summer and has rejected suggestions the decorated manager would make false claims.

He told The Independent: "The money is there. People say Alex is saying that because he has to. Anyone who knows Alex Ferguson knows he wouldn't say that if he didn't mean what he said.

"The money is definitely there. The results for the quarter ending 31 March (released today) will show the figures are about £95million cash."

"We are not in a situation whereby Alex is restricted in what he wants to do with the club and his modus operandi as a manager. We have never said: 'You can't do that, we have to pay interest (on the debt).'

"I can look you in the eye and say that. He would say exactly the same thing. People don't believe it. We never said to him: 'You can't go for that player because he's too much'."

As well as failing to retain their Premier League crown, United endured a troubled season off the pitch with many supporters joining the "green and gold" campaign criticising the approach of the Glazer family.

Gill believes the movement at Old Trafford will fade and labelled it a "visible minority" which would "go away".

The fans' group against the Glazer family's ownership of the club gained momentum last season with an increasing number of supporters wearing the green and gold scarves at United matches, representing the club's early incarnation as Newton Heath.

"The green and gold campaign and the momentum behind that can get a bit tiring," he added.

"We understand people's desire to protest and I think it is a minority. It's a visible minority in the stadium."

"Would we prefer not to have them [green and gold scarves]? Yes. They have a right to protest. A lot of the fans clearly care about the club and that is a strength.

"But a lot of the other fans want to know that the team is playing attractive football, exciting Manchester United-style football, winning football. Who owns it is a bit irrelevant to them.

"I think that [the green and gold] minority will go away. A lot of people understand what it means but a lot of them don't."

United 'Not For Sale'

Statement from the Manchester United Board:

"The Board notes recent press speculation regarding a possible bid for Manchester United.

"The owners remain fully committed to their long-term ownership of the club. Manchester United is not for sale and the owners will not entertain any offers."

Chicharito Granted Work Permit

Manchester United is pleased to announce that Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez has been granted a work permit and will join the club on 1 July 2010.

The Reds agreed a fee with Chivas de Guadalajara for the Mexico striker last month, but were required to apply for the permit because he has played in less than 75 per cent of his country's fixtures over the last two years.

Chicharito, who has already passed a medical and agreed personal terms, will join United's squad on the Philadelphia leg of July's pre-season trip to the USA and Canada.

Whether the 22-year-old makes his debut in that game will depend on how far Mexico progress in the World Cup. But he'll definitely be involved in the friendly United will play to open the new 45,000-capacity Chivas Stadium in Guadalajara at the end of July.

Chicharito was a second-half substitute in his country's 3-1 defeat by England on Monday, before scoring in a 2-1 reversal against the Netherlands on Wednesday.

Mexico complete their World Cup preparations with friendlies against Gambia and Italy in the next week, then kick off the tournament against hosts South Africa on 11 June.

Man. United Plead Javier Case

Manchester United will cite Mexican forward Javier Hernandez as an 'exceptional talent' when they plead their case to the Football Association in an effort to secure a work permit for the 21 year-old this week.

Although United have agreed a £7 million deal with Chivas Guadalajara for Hernandez, the club must convince the FA, charged by the Home Office with administering the process, to grant a certificate of sponsorship in order to endorse his application.

Hernandez, a second-half substitute in Monday's 3-1 defeat by England, has yet to be awarded a permit due to his failure to play in 75 per cent of Mexico's fixtures over the last two years.

Although Hernandez has been described as Mexico's brightest talent for a generation, United are mindful their application is not guaranteed to be successful. To secure a work permit, United must convince the FA panel that Hernandez is an elite player who could not be recruited within the European Union for a similar valuation.
- Mark Ogden, The Telegraph -

Late Gift For Nani

The Dubious Goals Panel has awarded Nani United’s first goal at the Emirates Stadium in January.

The Portuguese winger demonstrated silky skill on the right flank to beat three defenders before chipping a cross to the back post that found its way into the net courtesy of Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

The strike was provisionally credited as an own goal but the Dubious Goals Panel has since ruled in Nani’s favour. The decision takes Nani's season tally to seven goals.

In other news, United’s third goal in the 5-0 victory against Portsmouth at Old Trafford in February has been confirmed as a Michael Carrick strike. Some sources had credited the goal as a Richard Hughes own goal.

Neville Won't Go Quietly

Gary Neville insists he will never announce his international retirement and remains available if required.

The Manchester United full-back has 85 England caps to his name, with the first of those coming way back in 1995.

He has, however, gone over three years without an outing for his country, with his last appearance coming in a friendly against Spain in February 2007.

Many felt he was an outside bet to make Fabio Capello's squad for this summer's World Cup, due to his wealth of experience, but the Italian has preferred to look elsewhere.

Neville accepts that decision, with injuries having stacked up over recent years, but is adamant that he has no plans to pull himself out of contention.

"Playing for England is hard at times, you have to be very thick-skinned about it," the 35-year-old told The Times.

"But that's life and you have to remind yourself you are following a great tradition and a great line of players. I live in this country, I love this country. Why would I not want to represent it?

"I always said that I would never retire and I don't go along with international retirements, that's my stance. I respect the decisions of those who bow out because they feel they've given their all or for family reasons. That's what works for them.

"But I remember one player announcing his retirement about a year and a half after he'd last played. It's an empty gesture.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's the England manager who should retire players. They retire you. Maybe others haven't enjoyed it like me. Some don't want to be away and that's their agenda, their way of looking at it. But that's not me or what I believe in. I do think it's an honour."

Neville needs just one more cap to become the most decorated full-back in England's history and he is hoping to be given an opportunity to rewrite the history books in the future.

He recently penned a one-year extension to his Old Trafford contract and admits he would be willing to answer Capello's call should he be required for Euro 2012 qualifying duty in the autumn.

"If this is the end with England, I've no complaints," he added.

"But, yes, I'll be available for selection as long as I'm playing football."

Fergie Fears Over Hargreaves

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Owen Hargreaves' confidence has suffered as a result of his long injury lay-off.

The Manchester United midfielder, who was left out of Fabio Capello's 30-man provisional World Cup squad, has played only 35 seconds for his club since returning from 20 months out with chronic tendinitis in his knees earlier this month.

That brief comeback came during the United's penultimate game of the season against Sunderland, but England international Hargreaves was not included for the final fixture at home to Stoke.

And manager Ferguson believes the former Bayern Munich player must overcome a mental barrier before he can get back to playing at his best ability.

"He's had a tough time," Ferguson said in The Times. "Now it's that mental step.

"He's enthusiastic about it but he needs that big step forward to playing a game."

Sir Alex: Berbatov Not For Sale

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted the club have no intention of selling striker Dimitar Berbatov this summer.

The 29-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford following his £30.75m move from Tottenham in August 2008, scoring only 26 goals since then.

But Ferguson says he has no plans to offload the Bulgarian.

"No, no, definitely not," he said. "He is a fantastic footballer and he will be with us next year."

Ferguson dismissed speculation that Berbatov could be moved on, with the likes of Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Spurs reportedly interested, claiming it was run-of-the-mill gossip.

"That's a problem with a club like United - there's expectation and the media attention is always there," added the Scot.

"There's speculation every year - some summers I'm signing 100 players. You've got to live with that sort of media hype about the club.

"There's been a bit about Berbatov in terms of his future but we know he's a good player."

Ferguson's comments will be a welcome reassurance for Berbatov who last week vowed he would "fight to stay" at Old Trafford. Upon announcing his international retirement, Berbatov said: "I am going nowhere.

"I have arrived where I wanted to be, I have reached the summit."

Berbatov has come under fire this season from fans critical of his work-rate and profligacy in front of goal.

He did not start a single match in the Champions League knockout stages before United were knocked out by Bayern Munich in the last eight.

Critics have also suggested United lost the Premier League title to Chelsea in part because of his failure to act as an effective replacement for Wayne Rooney during the England striker's injury absence.

Berbatov, though, insisted he is determined to stay, adding: "United is the biggest team and I will fight to stay there until the end of my contract."

His current deal expires in two seasons' time in 2012.

While the Bulgarian appears content to shrug off criticism for his domestic performances, similar analysis of his international performances have played their part in his decision to quit the national team.

"I have decided to step down from the national team, starting today," he told a press conference in the Bulgarian capital Sofia, adding he wanted "to give younger players the opportunity to step out from my shadow".

Berbatov, Bulgaria's captain for the last three years, scored 48 goals in 74 international appearances and is the nation's all-time leading scorer.

But he said he was "discouraged" by Bulgaria's failure to qualify for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa, adding: "At times I feel tired, even exhausted by the national team."

It means the front man's appearance in the 2-0 defeat in Poland in March was his last at international level.

Foster Joins Birmingham

United have completed the sale of Ben Foster to Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee.

The England-capped goalkeeper has signed a three-year contract with Alex McLeish's side.

Foster arrived from Stoke City in July 2005, and spent his first two seasons as a United player on loan at Watford, where his excellent form led to an international debut in February 2007.

His second campaign at Vicarage Road was curtailed by a cruciate knee ligament injury, delaying his United debut until March 2008.

A hero of United's 2008/09 Carling Cup final victory over Tottenham, Ben's first sustained spell of involvement came in the early part of last season.

However, the enduring excellence of Edwin van der Sar restricted Foster to just one appearance in 2010, prompting him to move in search of regular first-team football.

Fergie Tightens Purse Strings

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Manchester United expect to make only one more addition this summer.

Chief executive David Gill insists funds are available for fresh faces, but Ferguson claims he has faith in those already at his disposal.

Despite finishing as runners-up to Chelsea in the 2009/10 Premier League title race, the Red Devils believe they are heading in the right direction.

That means Ferguson will resist the urge to splash the cash this summer, preferring instead to continue developing those in the reserve and youth ranks at Old Trafford.

He has already put deals in place for Fulham defender Chris Smalling and Mexican star Javier Hernandez and feels there is no need to implement an overhaul of his playing staff.

"In the market today it's very, very difficult and the structure of our squad is good in terms of ages, the balance, the numbers and there's a lot of good young players," said Ferguson.

"Sometimes you have to trust in all the development of the last few years and I'm going to stick with that, or most of it.

"There may be one signing and maybe we'd like to get a good player to the club, of course, but it's not easy in the present day climate and I've nothing definite to tell you because we're still assessing whoever's available and the difficulties in terms of who you'd bring in."

Gill has echoed the sentiments of his manager, adding: "Hernandez and Smalling are signings we've already made and the other point to bear in mind is that the Premier League is bringing in squad limits next year of 25, which we clearly operate [in European competitions] but is now coming to the Premier League.

"There will be unlimited U21s and other rules and we'll be taking all that into consideration."

Reds Sign South Americans

Concha y Toro, South America’s leading producer and exporter of premium branded wines, has signed a three-year deal to become the official wine partner of Manchester United Football Club.

The Concha y Toro products, made from grapes grown in Chile and Argentina, will be stocked in Old Trafford's lounges, boxes and bars from the beginning of the 2010/11 season.

Reds manager Sir Alex Ferguson said he was "delighted" to welcome Concha y Toro into the Manchester United family.

"Like United, it's a company with a lot of history that, while never afraid to change, has always kept hold of its roots," he said. "This is a partnership that unites the two great passions in Latin America: football and wine. I'm looking forward to it."

Concha y Toro marketing director Giancarlo Bianchetti was similarly enthusiastic.

"Our new partnership with Manchester United is absolutely aligned with Concha y Toro’s long‐term strategy to increase awareness and penetration of our brands worldwide. We wanted to find a partner who shared our commitment to excellence and Manchester United Football Club has developed an immensely powerful global brand.

"We intend to activate the partnership in a variety of ways around the world, using strategies and tactics which best suit each market."

An official partnership launch, attended by Sir Alex and members of the United first team, will take place at Old Trafford in August.

Neville Questions Capello's World Cup Squad

Gary Neville has questioned England manager Fabio Capello's decision to pick Liverpool's Glen Johnson as his sole right-back for the World Cup.

Johnson has established himself as England's first-choice right-back under Capello, but suffered an injury-interrupted second half of the season.

And Neville said: "I'm surprised there is only one right-back in the squad."

Neville also labelled attempts to lure Paul Scholes out of international retirement "a bit desperate".

Despite failing in his attempt to bring Scholes back into the England fold, Capello did persuade Liverpool's Jamie Carragher to return to the squad three years after his own international retirement.

And although Carragher has played the majority of his career at centre-back, his ability to cover either full-back position was seemingly key in Capello's decision to overlook Manchester United's Neville and Wes Brown.

However, Neville argued that Brown, who started at right-back when England beat Egypt in their last fixture as Johnson recovered from knee ligament damage, was unlucky to miss out.

"I wouldn't say I'm overly disappointed not to be named in the initial 30-man squad, although I did think there was maybe a chance I could get in," added Neville, who made 15 Premier League starts last season but failed to add to his 85 England caps.

"I'm probably more surprised Wes Brown isn't in the 30, to be honest."

Scholes, who retired from international football in 2004, appeared set for a return of his own before eventually rejecting Capello's overtures.

And Neville admitted that courting Scholes made sense, even if it was unlikely to succeed.

"I'm not surprised Capello tried to get him out of retirement because if there's one player I would try to pull out of retirement it's Scholes," Neville said of his team-mate and fellow 35-year-old.

"Capello maybe got a bit desperate at the last minute and wanted Scholes because he's still probably the best midfielder in England, but Scholes decided to stick to his guns."

Foster Set For Blues Medical

Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster is set to undergo a medical at Birmingham on Tuesday as he closes in on a move to St Andrews.

The two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £6million for Foster's signature last week and subject to a medical he is set to become Birmingham's first signing of the summer.

Birmingham made their move for Foster after Joe Hart returned to Manchester City after a successful season on loan at the Midlands outfit.

Foster will be keen to get his career back on track at St Andrews after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford during the past season.

The England international started the season in goal due to an injury to Edwin van der Sar, but following a couple of high-profile mistakes against Manchester City and Sunderland he lost his place when the Dutch ace returned to full fitness.

Foster then found himself relegated to the bench and as a result he missed out on England's World's Cup squad.

The 27-year-old revealed earlier this month he might have to leave United in search of first-team football and it seems his spell at Old Trafford is drawing to a close.

Subotic Not Talking To United

Neven Subotic's representative has dismissed reports claiming his client is in talks with Manchester United.

The Serbian defender is hot property at present, with numerous clubs believed to be tracking his availability.

He only penned a new contract with current employers Borussia Dortmund last summer but has attracted attention following an impressive 2009/10 campaign.

No official approach for his services has been made as yet, but it is expected to be only a matter of time.

Premier League giants United were believed to be among those keen to land the 21-year-old, but Subotic's manager insists that is not the case.

"We are still waiting for offers," Steven Kelly told Sport.

"It is true many clubs are interested in Neven but for now he is only thinking about the World Cup.

"He is calm and ready to represent his country. Talk about transfers does not bother him.

"Manchester United? We have held no talks, that is just a rumour without any substance.

"I am good friends with (Sir Alex) Ferguson but that wouldn't mean anything if talks do start.

"Will they? Maybe. Steven is a Dortmund player but there is a possibility he could leave the club this summer."

Fergie To Go Out On Top

Manchester United's long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he would never retire from the club if the team were struggling.

In May 2008 the Scottish legend was quoted as saying he would not be managing beyond three years leading to recent questions that he might call it a day at the end of next season.

However, the 68-year-old rubbished reports in April that he would be departing in the summer of 2011 and now it remains anyone's guess when he will eventually step down.

One thing Ferguson has clarified is that he would not emulate Ron Atkinson's example in 1986 when he inherited a team struggling on the pitch and without silverware.

Ferguson insists he would only relinquish his post when The Red Devils are in a 'good, healthy' position.

"If we hit a bad spell, it would not be the right time to go," explained Ferguson.

"I would not want to put the new manager into a situation where he was taking over a bad team. I want to leave United in a good, healthy position."

Ferguson tried to retire once in 2002 only to perform a quick U-turn following the team's dramatic loss of form and well-timed intervention from his wife Cathy.

"In 2002, I made the decision on a whim," he recalled. "The age 60 sounded good, I'd won the European Cup and a lot of people were saying, 'You'll never do that again.'

"There are a lot of silly things that go through your mind - one line was that Manchester United didn't want another Matt Busby situation and all that nonsense, but after I made the decision the performance of the team went downhill and it was a nightmare.

"On New Year's Eve, we went out for dinner and when we came back I fell asleep on the couch. My wife, Cathy, came in with the three boys behind her, she kicked my foot and said, 'You are not retiring'!"

Nani's Knuckled Down

Nani has delighted and surprised fans with his resurgent form in 2010, and team-mate Rio Ferdinand it's all rooted in hard work.

The Portuguese winger struggled for form and a place in the side in the first-half of the campaign, but Reds assistant Mike Phelan acknowledged this year that “the penny dropped”. Since then he's been one of United’s best players, scoring several eye-catching goals.

"Nani's really come on since Christmas,” says Rio. “He’s a young player learning the game and he’s got his head down and worked, really knuckled down. He’s seen the benefits of that by becoming an effective part of the team. The important thing is he’s producing an end product – scoring goals and setting up chances. Because of that he’s getting a consistent run in the team and any player benefits from that.”

If he continues his club form, Nani could be one of the World Cup's stars, and Ferdinand believes the sky is the limit for the 23-year-old. “Nani’s got the potential to do what he wants,” he adds. “He’s one of the sharpest players around, has a great strike with both feet - he’s got the potential to be a top, top player. If he continues the way he’s going he’ll be a great weapon for next season.”

Foster Set For Blues Deal

Ben Foster is in talks with Birmingham City after they agreed a deal with Manchester United, skysports.com can confirm.

Birmingham are in need of a new number one as loan-star Joe Hart is returning to Manchester City following his highly successful stint at St Andrews.

Blues boss Alex McLeish failed with his efforts to keep Hart for another 12-months and so turned his attentions to the red-half of Manchester, and has now agreed a deal with United for Foster.

It is understood Birmingham have agreed a fee in the region of £5million and that Foster is now in talks with the club.

England international Foster has seen his chances limited at United this term, which has cost him a place at the World Cup finals.

His agent Lee Payne has confirmed to skysports.com that his client is in talks with Birmingham.
"We are close to agreeing a deal," he told skysports.com.

"The two clubs have agreed a fee and given us permission to talk to Birmingham.

"We fully expect the deal to be completed either this weekend or the start of next week."

Berbatov Quits Bulgaria

Dimitar Berbatov has called time on his international football career.

The 29-year-old, Bulgaria’s captain and record goal scorer, made the announcement in Sofia on Thursday. He told media at the Vasil Levski national stadium: “It was a difficult but well considered decision. There are moments in life when we have hard decisions to make.

"The reasons are many and different. I am happy with what I have achieved with the national team and do not regret anything. From now on I will focus fully on my commitments to Manchester United."

Berbatov made his Bulgaria debut in November 1999 and went on to score 48 goals in 78 appearances for the national team.

He joins fellow Reds Paul Scholes (England), Ryan Giggs (Wales) and Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands) in international retirement.

Owen On Target For Pre-season Training

Manchester United striker Michael Owen is confident he will be able to take a full part in pre-season training after recovering from his hamstring injury.

He has not played since pulling his hamstring in United's 2-1 Carling Cup final win over Aston Villa in February.

But an operation has been a success and he is looking forward to United's pre-season tour, which begins on 12 July.

"The aim is to be doing everything with the lads on the first day of pre-season training," he said.

"It was a shame to get the injury at Wembley. I thought it was a minor thing at first but it was obviously worse than that.

"But overall I was delighted with my first season at United. I was fit for 43 of the first 44 games."

Reds Bound For Dublin

United will play a pre-season friendly match against an Airtricity League XI to celebrate the opening of the new Aviva stadium in Dublin on Wednesday 4 August. This historic match will form part of United's pre-season preparations for the 2010/11 campaign.

Sir Alex Ferguson says he is "really looking forward to going back to Dublin" for the first time since 2002 for a friendly match with Shelbourne, which United won 5-0.

The Reds boss told ManUtd.com: "We have a massive fanbase in Ireland, it will be great to play a match on their home turf and I know the Irish supporters will make the atmosphere very special."

Ireland has always formed a strong part of the Manchester United family. Over the years, many Irish internationals have represented United and include legends such as Johnny Carey, Frank Stapleton, Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, Denis Irwin and Roy Keane, whilst not forgetting current players John O'Shea, Darron Gibson, Robbie Brady and Sean McGinty. It is therefore no surprise that Ireland is home to the largest number of Manchester United season ticket holders outside of the UK, who will no doubt give the Reds a warm welcome in August.

Sir Alex Thanks Backroom Staff

Sir Alex Ferguson has praised the unsung heroes of United's backroom team in dealing with a campaign that conjured its fair share of challenges to coaches and medical staff alike.

The Reds had 16 first-team players who were injured for six weeks or more throughout the 2009/10 campaign, but Sir Alex says his dedicated staff dealt with the crisis in the most professional manner he could have asked for.

"I can be proud of my medical staff and my coaching staff for the experience they’ve shown and the way they’ve dealt with the injury situation," the boss told ManUtd.com. "No matter what team we’ve put on the pitch, they’ve always been well prepared and always well motivated.

"The training sessions have always been of the high standard we look for at this club. Those things are vital in a club like ours when you’re facing situations where there are injuries time and time again."

It is remarkable that United took the title race down to the wire and ended the season with the league's tightest defence when nine players in defensive positions spent prolonged spells on the sidelines.

"You need experience to cope with that and the medical staff, coaching staff and myself have got that experience," added the boss. "We always believe that if we’ve got eleven bodies to put on the pitch, we can always win, no matter who they are. I think that’s a great testimony to the standard here."

Giggs - We Need More Goalscorers

Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs insists the club's over-reliance on Wayne Rooney cost them the Premier League title this season.

Although Rooney has been inspirational for the Red Devils this term with 26 Premier League goals from just 32 appearances, United missed out on title glory.

Chelsea, who scored 17 more league goals than Sir Alex Ferguson's men, clinched the top spot on Sunday with a crushing 8-0 success over 10-man Wigan.

While Giggs is against picking the bones from United's fine campaign, he believes that if one area needs improving it is that they must find more goalscorers.

The Welsh wizard has been enthused by the club's improved defensive form, but feels following the losses of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez that they need more threats in front of goal.

"If you had to say one thing, you'd probably say we can't rely on Wayne next season like we did this one," Giggs told the Daily Mirror.

"We need to be scoring more goals from different areas and from different players, even though as a team we scored more than we did last season.

"We were also better defensively this season than last, but we can't rely on Wayne as much as we have done this season in terms of goals.

"On Sunday against Stoke we started full of hope, then came in at half-time and found out Chelsea were 2-0 up and Wigan were down to 10 men.

"We knew then it was over and, to be honest, we didn't want to go out for the second half. You just want to go home in that situation."

United were also hamstrung in the final few weeks after Rooney damaged his ankle in the latter stages of their UEFA Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

The England international could never quite hit the dizzy heights that terrorised Premier League defences beforehand and Giggs believes the knock came at the worst time.

"It was unfortunate for us that Wayne got injured at a really important part of the season, because we'd relied on his goals more or less throughout it," he continued.

"So to get to the business part of the season and not have him, then to have him for one game without him having really trained, wasn't ideal.

"But whether the manager does or doesn't bring in any other strikers this summer, the other players know we need to score more.

"Whether that's defenders coming up for corners or midfielders chipping in, we all need to contribute a lot more."

Birmingham City Poised To Sign Foster

Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster is set to move to Birmingham City for £4m, BBC Sport understands.

Foster, 27, has only played one Premier League game since October after falling behind Edwin van der Sar and Tomasz Kuszczak in the United pecking order.

He has also dropped out of the England squad and said last week he has blown his chance of going to the World Cup.

Birmingham are seeking a new goalkeeper because Joe Hart is set to return to Manchester City next season.

Foster, who joined from Stoke City in 2005, signed an improved four-year contract at Old Trafford last season.

He started the season as United's number one but high-profile errors against Chelsea in the Community Shield, against Manchester City in the derby and Sunderland led to reports of a fallout with manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Foster wore the England number one shirt as recently as November, against Brazil, but was dropped from the squad for the friendly against Egypt in March.

Last week, he hinted that he was ready to move on.

"You never want to leave Man United [...] but I want to be playing football," he said.

"I am not interested in just hanging about. I would go if the club wanted to sell me."

Manchester United 'Value' Sought by Red Knights Group

The Red Knights consortium has said it will not pay over the odds for Man Utd in the present economic climate.

The group of wealthy businessmen is believed to value the club at no more than £1bn.

They now say talks with potential investors "have reinforced our belief it is wrong to offer above fair value".

A spokesman for the Glazer family which owns the club, reiterated that United, valued at £1.2bn by US business magazine Forbes, was not for sale.

The recent Forbes report on football clubs also stated that increasing sponsorship and media revenue meant "the news continues to be good for investors".

However, in its new statement the Red Knights say they believe that the value of Manchester United will be reduced over time "given headwinds facing the game of football".

The Red Knights also say they are still trying to assemble a group of wealthy investors necessary to buy the club.

"This statement is meant to show that the Red Knights will not over-pay for United, nor will they be rushed," said BBC sports news correspondent Dan Roan.

"They believe one billion is the true value for the club. But the Glazers regard it as nothing more than the latest round of a battle for publicity, and are again stressing they have no intention to sell."

Their numbers so far also include Jim O'Neill, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, and lawyer Mark Rawlinson, and it has recruited the Japanese investment bank Nomura to help it put together a bid.

Manchester United was bought by the Glazer family for £800m in 2005. At the weekend the club finished second to Chelsea in the Premier League.

They were also knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter finals, and have ended the season relatively unsuccessfully by their standards, winning only the League Cup.

Too Early For Transfer Talk

The structure of United's squad will be assessed as the Reds unusually head into the close season without the Premier League trophy in the Old Trafford trophy room.

But Sir Alex won't be rushed into signing new players, or discussing the likelihood of it - not in the immediate aftermath of a title race which his team lost to Chelsea by a solitary point.

"I'm not going to announce it (our transfer plans] in front of the TV cameras obviously but we'll look at the structure of this club," the manager told MUTV. "It's a good structure. I think we've worked hard over the years at bringing in young players and developing them at our club very well. We'll have to assess all that and maybe do one or two things. But at the moment, I've nothing to say."

As for reflecting on why United finished second rather than first, Sir Alex said: "I'm not going to agonise over that tonight. There are many things you could talk about. Perhaps crucially the decision down at Stamford Bridge was a bad one against us and that's maybe swung the whole title around if you think about it.

"But you can't agonise over these things. Sometimes you get the breaks, sometimes you don't."

Reiterating a point he made in Friday's reflective press conference, the United boss declared the demise of the 2009/10 Champions League campaign to be his biggest regret, with our quarter-final conquerors Bayern Munich through to the Madrid final on 22 May.

"I look at the European Cup as our biggest disappointment to be honest with you. We should have been in the final. We were the better team and played fantastic here, we just didn't have the luck on the night and that's what can happen in football. You need a bit of luck."

Evra: I Let United Down

Manchester United defender Patrice Evra feels like he let his team down after failing to retain the Premier League title.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side relinquished control of their crown after Chelsea hammered Wigan on Sunday, ending hopes of an unprecedented fourth straight triumph.

It meant the 4-0 triumph over Stoke at Old Trafford was in vain as Carlo Ancelotti's men held onto their one point advantage over their rivals.

The outcome left Evra feeling like he had not done enough for his team having previously won the title in each season since his 2006 switch to the club.

He said: "I always say when we don't win the Premier League it feels like I have not done my job for the team. When you play for Manchester United you must always win.

"In four (full) years with Manchester United this was the first time I have never won the league and I feel strange. To finish second is good but it is not my mentality."

The disappointing end to the season saw United finish with just one trophy to their name, the Carling Cup.

Evra was captain of the side that beat Aston Villa in February and the Frenchman revealed he would take solace in claiming at least some silverware.

The left back has been one of the most consistent performers in a United shirt throughout the campaign having made 51 appearances - more than anyone else in the Old Trafford ranks.

But the 28-year-old refused to dwell on his personal glory, and instead reflected on a season where he felt his team had let their trophy hunt slip.

He added: "I am very proud about that (the Carling Cup win). I was in good form and everyone has congratulated me on my season.

"It is not just about playing, it is about performing and I performed for 51 games.

"But every year I play for Manchester United I want to win. Here you have to be first.

"This year I don't feel we have done the job very well. I congratulate Chelsea but I feel like Manchester United have given them the league."

The French international will now focus his attention on the World Cup finals in South Africa where he hopes to compensate for his domestic disappointment.

Nani: We Will Win It Next Year

Nani admitted United felt desperately disappointed after so narrowly missing out on the Barclays Premier League title, but he is adamant that the Reds will be back stronger and even more determined to win the trophy back in 2010/11.

Chelsea finished a point above the Reds this season, but Nani says the Reds rued missed opportunities to overtake the Blues during the run-in.

“We are disappointed,” he told MUTV. “We were so close. We had a lot of chances to win the league [but didn’t take them]. Against Chelsea at home we didn’t win and that was the game that we lost the league.

“We hoped for the best result for us today, but it didn’t happen. Chelsea did so well this season and we were 90 per cent sure that they would win against Wigan. When Chelsea scored the Stoke fans celebrated all their goals and we knew what was going on.”

But despite the disappointment, Nani was not wholly downbeat. “We still have to be confident about next season,” he added. “Next year we will be fantastic because we will show that we are strong and we will work hard. We did so well and it was quite equal between ourselves and Chelsea. You could say we deserved to win the title as well. But we have to forget about this and think about next season.

“We’ll be strong next season. United is a very strong club, we have a very strong mentality. We didn’t win the league this season, but next time we will.”

Ferguson Pledges To Win Back Premier League Title

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson vowed to win back the Premier League title next season after his side finished runners-up to Chelsea.

United defeated Stoke 4-0 on the final day of the campaign but Chelsea thrashed Wigan 8-0 to deny Ferguson's team a record fourth successive title.

"Next year hopefully we can bring back the title to the best place in the world," said Ferguson.

"But now we must congratulate Carlo Ancelotti and his Chelsea team."

United needed to defeat Stoke and Chelsea to slip up if they were to retain their Premier League title.

Darren Fletcher, Giggs and Park Ji-Sung scored for United, while Danny Higginbotham added an own goal as Ferguson's team made light work of their task, but Chelsea scored an early goal at Stamford Bridge and went on to demolish the Latics and finish one point ahead.

"It is a terrific achievement to beat Manchester United [to the title]," added Ferguson of Chelsea's first Premier League triumph since 2006.

"If at the start of the season someone had said the title race would have been taken to the wire we would have been happy knowing that most times we win but not this time.

"When we heard that Wigan had gone down to 10 men, hope evaporated then.

"The players and supporters are always magnificent and they have been again. I think they can be proud of the challenge for a fourth title in a row.

"I am not going to agonise about where it went wrong. Sometimes you get the breaks, on other occasions you don't."

United ended the season with only the Carling Cup to show for their efforts, having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Leeds and losing to Bayern Munich over two legs in their Champions League quarter-final tie.

"The biggest disappointment is the tie against Bayern Munich," said the Scot.

"We deserved to go through and we should be [playing in the final] in Madrid."

Ferguson hinted that he would be looking to strengthen his squad the summer, adding: "We have got ideas. We are looking at the structure of the club.

"There may be one or two things but at the moment nothing is signed. We have a good squad but we have to do one or two things."

Ferguson's team lost seven games during the Premier League season, while Chelsea were defeated on six occasions.

"It was a weird season," said United veteran Ryan Giggs, who scored his team's second goal against Stoke with a precise first-time finish.

"We lost games that we did not expect to and so did other teams. The quality has been better and we have to up our game next year if we want to contend again.

"We will do that and the manager will look at what he needs to do over the summer."

Stoke boss Tony Pulis had no complaints about the result and afterwards suggested Ferguson will be extra motivated next season to regain the Premier League title.

"Manchester United is one of the greatest clubs in the world," said the Potters boss.

"They have got the greatest manager in English football and he will be even more determined next year."

No Dramatic Final-day Twist For Red Devils As Chelsea Clinches League Title

Manchester United comfortably defeated Stoke but were deposed as Premier League champions on an afternoon of anti-Glazer protests at Old Trafford.

Darren Fletcher notched from close range, Ryan Giggs struck from 14 yards, Danny Higginbotham scored an own goal and Park Ji-Sung headed home.

But Chelsea thrashed Wigan to claim the win they needed to deny United a record fourth successive title by a point.

Wayne Rooney limped off late on in a worrying development for England.

It was not a great afternoon for Rooney, who had gone into the match level on goals with Chelsea's Didier Drogba only for the Ivorian to score a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge to finish as the Premier League's top scorer.

Rooney, central to England's hopes at the World Cup, was withdrawn on 77 minutes shortly after he had signalled his discomfort to the United bench.

The 24-year-old striker sustained an ankle injury in United's Champions League tie against Bayern Munich on 30 March but after recovering from that picked up his groin problem during a training session in late April.

However, Rooney was able to join in with the team's lap of honour at the end of the match, indicating that his problem is not serious.

United needed Chelsea to slip up against the Latics at Stamford Bridge if they were to snatch a dramatic 19th league title.

That was always an unlikely proposition and the relaxed manner of Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson as he signed autographs in the 30 minutes before kick-off indicated that he felt the title was beyond his team.

Chelsea scored an early goal against Wigan and word quickly spread around Old Trafford, ensuring that United's subsequent goals lacked their customary sense of drama and excitement.

There had been tense scenes outside Old Trafford before the match as supporters protested against the Glazer family's ownership of the club.

A smoke bomb was let off outside the club megastore while fans congregated near the entrance to the directors' box.

Many supporters waved placards inside the ground with the words "Go, Glazers out" on them and whistles were blown in protest during half-time.

The match itself was a straightforward affair for United, although a combination of stubborn Stoke defending and poor finishing, particularly from Dimitar Berbatov, initially frustrated the home team.

Andy Wilkinson blocked a low strike from Berbatov and Higginbotham bravely smothered a strike from Patrice Evra after the defender dribbled his way into the Stoke area.

Berbatov was guilty of two poor headed misses, the first from six yards flew over the crossbar and the second skimmed the top of the woodwork.

But there was little possibility that Fletcher would miss after an unfortunate ricochet off Dean Whitehead presented the United midfielder with the simplest of tap-ins shortly after the half-hour mark.

Potters goalkeeper Asmir Begovic comfortably saved from Gary Neville before Giggs slotted home with his first-time finish after a low cross from Berbatov was allowed to run across the Stoke area.

The visitors offered precious little goal threat until Ricardo Fuller forced a sharp save from Edwin van der Sar with a shot on the turn in first-half injury time.

It was not indicative of events to follow and the result was beyond doubt when Higginbotham diverted a drilled low cross from Rooney into this own net minutes after the restart.

Paul Scholes went close with an audacious chip, while Begovic made a one-handed save to thwart Nani after the Portugal international had been played through by an exquisite Rooney pass.

Van der Sar made two excellent saves to deny Rory Delap and Danny Pugh as United kept a clean sheet.

There was just time for substitute Park to head the ball home after Stoke failed to deal with a corner but the afternoon was tinged in disappointment as Chelsea hammered Wigan 8-0 to claim the title.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis:
"United deserved to win and were the better team.

"We have had a good season and are only the second team in the history of the Premier League to beat our first year's points tally in the second season.

"We are debt free and Stoke is a great club to be at."

United's players celebrate Ryan Giggs' goal, but despite a 4-0 win the Reds surrendered the title

Sir Alex Feels For Foster

Sir Alex Ferguson admits Ben Foster's World Cup chances have been hit by a lack of first-team football for United this season.

Ferguson has long championed Foster's England cause but accepts the 27-year-old goalkeeper needs to be playing regularly at the top level if he is to be considered for Fabio Capello's squad this summer.

Foster started United's first eight league games this term with Edwin van der Sar out injured, but he was then ousted by Tomasz Kuszczak.

And with van der Sar having signed a new one-year deal in February and playing as well as ever, Foster has been limited to just one appearance for the Reds in 2010.

"I’ve had a chat with Ben and I understand his dilemma," Sir Alex said. "There’s nothing I can do about that [lack of action], to be honest with you. He’s a terrific goalkeeper and we’ll see what the future brings for the boy.

"In my mind he has a talent to be the England goalkeeper and we’re conscious of that. We’d like to help but unfortunately he’s not played enough football to get him on that plane to South Africa, I feel."

Evans Happy To Commit

Fresh from signing a new contract, Jonny Evans says he would happily follow in the footsteps of United's elder statesmen and stay at Old Trafford for his whole career, but he recognises he will need to maintain a consistently high standard to do that.

The 22-year-old central defender has played a key role in United's quest for silverware over the last two seasons, regularly and ably stepping in to provide cover for first choice pairing Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Evans is delighted to have committed himself to the club for the next four years and is looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"Negotiations started a couple of months ago and went pretty smoothly and I'm glad to have finally signed," said Evans. "It's nice to have a bit of security. It means I can start planning - little things like that are good. They help you settle and put your mind at ease.

"It would be nice to stick around as long as the older guys who are signing extensions. They just keep going. The contract is there but you still have to perform for the manager. If your performance levels dropped you could be sold in January."

Evans believes he has come a long way in the last couple of seasons and feels he has thrived on the pressure of facing some of the best players in Europe.

"Playing at a club like Manchester United you are always going to be involved in big matches and it's something I relish," he added. "I have really enjoyed the last two seasons. It has been a great experience for me and I have learnt a lot."

Evans Contract Confirmed

Jonny Evans is the latest young player to commit his next four years to United.

The Northern Ireland international has now signed a new contract to keep him at Old Trafford until at least June 2014.

Sir Alex Ferguson expressed his joy at the news in a club press statement:

"We are delighted Jonny has signed a new contract. Jonny has risen through the United ranks to become an integral part of the first-team squad, he is an intelligent defender and has been excellent in the central defensive positions at key times during the season."

Jonny Evans said:

“I am delighted to have signed a new contract. I’ve supported Manchester United all my life and it’s a great honour to be able to continue to wear the badge of this great club. I’d like to thank the staff, players and fans for their continued support in my development.”

United Announce Summer Tour

Manchester United will go west to prepare for the 2010/11 season, with new matches announced today for Toronto, Philadelphia, Kansas City and Houston.

The squad, headed by Ryan Giggs and including stars such as Paul Scholes, Edwin van der Sar, Darren Fletcher, Antonio Valencia, John O’Shea, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov, will be bolstered by a number of the promising young players, such as Federico Macheda and the da Silva twins.

First stop is a training camp in Chicago, home of new shirt sponsors Aon. This will be followed by a visit to the Rogers Center in Toronto for a match against Celtic on 16 July, then a return to the Lincoln Financial Field, where United played in 2003 and 2004, against Philadelphia Union on 21 July. Four days later, the Kansas City Wizards provide the opposition at the Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City. The US matches are completed in Houston on 28 July with a game against the MLS All-Stars in the Reliant Stadium.

Two days later, as already announced, the squad will play the Club’s first ever match in Mexico to open Chivas’ new 45,000 seat stadium in Guadalajara.

Sir Alex Ferguson said: “It’s great to be going back to North America. I enjoyed the last two tours there in 2003 and 2004 immensely. The quality of the facilities is outstanding and there is a real enthusiasm in the crowds. It’s especially pleasing to be going in a World Cup year, when the interest in football will be at its height.”

Tour Fixtures, July 2010
16: Glasgow Celtic; Toronto
21: Philadelphia Union; Philadelphia
25: Kansas City Wizards; Kansas
28: MLS All-Stars; Houston

United Stay Shocks Edwin

Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has admitted he never expected his stay at the club to last as long as it has.

The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford in 2005 from Fulham and has enjoyed glittering success under Sir Alex Ferguson's stewardship.

Van der Sar has three Premier League titles and a Champions League gong to his name - although he never anticipated spending nearly six years at one of the most successful teams in the world.

And after extending his stay at United for another year, the 39-year-old has his eyes on rounding off his career with the honour of a testimonial match in tribute to his service for the club.

Van der Sar told Inside United: "I still believed I was doing enough to play for a bigger team but you need someone to take a gamble, which Sir Alex Ferguson did. At the time I was 34 so I didn't expect to be here six years.

"I thought that I would be at United for two years and then maybe go and do something else. Instead I am steadily trying to reach my testimonial."

The former Ajax and Juventus man could have found his stay at the Red Devils cut short earlier in the season as it emerged his wife had been suffering from a serious illness.

But after holding talks with Annemarie, Van der Sar agreed to continue plying his trade, even though many at his age would be hanging up the gloves.

He joins the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs enjoying finer moments well into the later stages of their careers', however the Dutchman has no explanations as to why he continues to defy the ravages of time.

He went on: "It was important my wife felt okay with it. If she had said she would rather go back to Holland then we would have done that.

"But I had made up my mind in December that I would keep playing and join the other old boys, who keep on going.

"My position is not as demanding as Paul and Ryan, who have had to run and tackle a lot. But the main thing is we are all still enjoying it."

Van der Sar's task in the meantime is to try help United claim an unprecedented fourth successive title, which would mean beating Stoke on the final day and hoping Chelsea slip up against Wigan.

After usually finding his team in the driving seat, relying on other results is a situation unfamiliar position for the keeper, however he remains hopeful more silverware will be coming his way.

He added: "It is very strange. In the last three years we have been in command. Now we have to wait. It is going to be difficult.

"We have lost a lot of games this year but we are still in there at the end. Hopefully Wigan will have a go for it on Sunday and we will hear some positive news."

Q&A: Boss In Reflective Mood

With the curtain about to fall on another season, Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson was in contemplative mood at United's end-of-season awards night at Old Trafford. In an interview with MUTV, he talked openly about how he thinks the title race will finally pan out, the form of award-winning striker Wayne Rooney, and his summer plans in the transfer market...

How were your nerves over the course of Sunday?
Okay really because we learned of the Liverpool result not long after we arrived at Sunderland’s stadium. All we needed to do was keep our cool and enjoy our game after that so it was quite an easy day for us really. We played very well and could have scored a few goals but the thing that impressed me was the players didn’t let the result get to them. There was no sign of despondency, their heads were up, they enjoyed themselves, they played the right way and I was pleased at that.

The title race is going right to the wire and when it’s done that in the past, you’ve won it three times…
Yes, we’ve had a few of these last day encounters over the years and we’ve been fortunate to win three of them. But we did lose one at West Ham.

I wasn’t going to mention that…
But it’s important to understand we have the experience of these things, winning and losing. So we’ve got to handle ourselves in the right way.

Do you look back at results and think, if only we’d got a draw or a win there?
I used to do it but you can torture yourself that way. For instance, if you think of Burnley away - we’d only just started the season and then we lost three points. We missed a penalty that day and if we’d scored it, we would probably have gone on to win the match or get a draw at least. That point could have made the difference, who knows? You go through the bad refereeing decision in the game at Chelsea and the one against them at Old Trafford. If you look at all these twists and turns, you can torture yourself. But there’s no point to it, it happens. We sometimes get breaks ourselves so you have to take the bad with the good. It’s gone against us this season a bit in terms of the decisions but it can happen.

There have been several outstanding candidates for Player of the Year this season…
I think if you look at the defensive situation for a start, everyone was aware that our back four was decimated throughout the season at various times, and only Patrice Evra has played right through the whole season. We gave him a rest from the starting eleven for the Blackburn game but he’s played in every league match and that’s an astonishing achievement. I’m thankful we had him for all those games. So he comes into that category of having a truly outstanding season. Darren Fletcher’s emergence in the team makes him another candidate. Paul Scholes has had a phenomenal second half to the season. Antonio Valencia has done well on the right hand side as a new player. But Wayne Rooney’s form this season has been absolutely electrifying, it’s lifted everyone.

What has Wayne done differently this year?
I think he’s practiced more this season. He’s concentrated on that part of how we see him as a centre-forward, being as high up the pitch as he can be, be a threat in behind defences and get in the box as much as he can. I think that’s worked. I think it’s paid dividends.

Can we expect many new signings or is it just a case of tweaking things?
It’s difficult to say. People don’t recognise I’ve actually signed three players for £20million. Chris Smalling will join us from Fulham, Mame Diouf has done really well and of course young Javier Hernandez from Mexico will join us after the World Cup. Those are three young players whose futures are guaranteed for the club. Other young players come into that bracket are Macheda, Obertan and Welbeck. Darron Gibson’s starting to emerge very strongly. Jonny Evans has proved himself at 21 years of age and has now signed a new contract. So we’ve got a good nucleus of young players and a good foundation to carry the club for a long time now. What I’ll have to make decisions on is how we can improve the team because when you challenge for four league titles in a row, the Champions League, the Carling Cup, the FA Cup and the Club World Cup, it can have a draining effect and you have to be aware of that. You have to spot the moment when you say, ‘It’s time to freshen. It’s time to change one or two players.’ It’s not that I have a desire to do it, it’s a need to do it, simply because the demands and the pressure on players over a longer period can be quite exacting.

Sir Alex was speaking to MUTV.

Hargreaves: I Have Plenty Left In Me

It may have only been a fleeting appearance, but Owen Hargreaves' return to action for the final seconds of United's victory at Sunderland marked the completion of a long and frustrating journey for the midfielder.

Up until Sunday, Hargreaves had not been seen in a United shirt since September 2008 following double knee surgery to cure a tendonitis problem.

The 29-year-old admits the experience has been a tough one, but he is delighted to be back and feels he has plenty left in the tank yet.

"I’ve missed two seasons and I’m disappointed about that. But I’m 29 and hopefully I’ve got another six to eight years left in me," insisted Hargreaves at United's Player of the Year awards.

"Being out for so long is obviously not something I would have envisaged myself going through. It’s been a learning experience and I try and take the positives from it.

"It was short [against Sunderland] but obviously I’m looking forward to next season. We’ve got our last game this weekend [against Stoke] and hopefully I’ll play a bit again, and then hopefully get ready to attack next season.”

Jonny Evans To Sign Long-term Deal?

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans is on the verge of signing a new long-term contract with Manchester United.

After spending a couple of spells on loan at Sunderland, Evans has made huge progress in the last two seasons.

Evans has now made 64 first-team appearances for United and has proved himself good enough to stand in for injury-prone Rio Ferdinand.

"Jonny has proved himself," Ferguson told MUTV.

Although there has been no formal announcement from Old Trafford, Ferguson let slip at Tuesday's player-of-the-year awards that Evans has agreed a new deal, which is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

"He has signed a new contract and helps to provide a good foundation for the club for a long time."

It is not believed Evans has actually put pen to paper yet but it is a measure of how highly the 22-year-old is rated at Old Trafford that Ferguson wanted him tied down to a new deal.

The Belfast-born player is being tipped as a future club captain at Old Trafford.

Edwin's Super Save

Edwin van der Sar's stunning stop at Bolton has earned the Dutchman the Save of the Season award, as voted by ManUtd.com readers.

With Sir Alex's men 1-0 up at the Reebok Stadium, the Reds' no.1 flung himself across goal and extended every inch of his giant frame to tip Fabrice Muamba's shot around the post and preserve United's lead.

Reds goalkeeper coach Eric Steele paid tribute to van der Sar, telling ManUtd.com: "Sometimes Edwin’s labelled as a goalkeeper who’s very calm and good with the ball at his feet. But he’s also capable of making world-class saves and the one at Bolton is a prime example of that.

"We were 1-0 up at the time so it was an important stop. He’s shown great timing to get his footwork spot-on and also to get his hand up to the ball. It’s a big, strong hand that’s enabled him to push the ball out for a corner and that’s testament to the work he’s done in the gym this season.

"He showed fantastic reactions, too, as well as good concentration to follow the ball as Bolton moved it across the penalty area. He had to be constantly on the move and focussing on the ball the whole time, which isn’t easy. Then he’s followed that up by displaying fantastic athleticism and agility to make the save."

The stop, polled 26.8 per cent of more than 4000 votes to land Edwin this season's award. Ben Foster's close-range stop from Robin van Persie garnered 13.8% to finish second.

Award Joy For Keane

Probably the greatest day of William Keane's United career so far was capped on Tuesday night when he received the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.

Hours earlier, the Stockport-born striker scored as the Under-18s clinched the regional championship by beating Everton 2-0. Now a national play-off semi-final against Arsenal beckons for Keane and co, as his debut season as an academy scholar reaches an exciting climax.

The team's proud coach Paul McGuinness told MUTV, "Will has been such a smooth operator in his first year. He's been really outstanding and has scored some stunning goals but his general team play and his demeanour, his attitude on and off the pitch, have been excellent."

Will was presented with his trophy by the academy manager, and appropriately a former United striker, Brian McClair. Congratulations to Will and the other nominees, Nicky Ajose and Scott Wootton.

Previous winners
Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year
1990 Lee Martin
1991 Ryan Giggs
1992 Ryan Giggs
1993 Paul Scholes
1994 Phil Neville
1995 Terry Cooke
1996 Ronnie Wallwork
1997 John Curtis
1998 Wes Brown
1999 Wes Brown
2000 Bojan Djordjic
2001 Alan Tate
2002 Paul Tierney
2003 Ben Collett
2004 Jonathan Spector
2005 Giuseppe Rossi
2006 Darron Gibson
2007 Craig Cathcart
2008 Danny Welbeck
2009 Federico Macheda
2010 William Keane

William Keane, Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year 2010

De Laet's Delight

Ritchie De Laet's remarkable rise from a surprise January signing from Stoke to being the only fit defender in the first team at Fulham in December has been acknowledged with a prestigious award.

Fans voting on ManUtd.com have made him the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year, ahead of the coaching staff's other nominees Magnus Eikrem and Oliver Gill.

Receiving his trophy from reserves manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, De Laet said: "I'm happy, of course. It's my second year at United and we've had a good season with the reserves.

"We've won two trophies, and the Senior Cup at the beginning as well, so it's been a good season all round."

On nominating De Laet, Solskjaer said: "Ritchie has been a revelation since signing from Stoke and he deservedly gained some first-team appearances this term. He is a very versatile defender who also has an eye for a goal, and he's a real leader in the team."

Previous winners
Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year

1990 Mark Robins
1991 Jason Lydiate
1992 Brian Carey
1993 Colin McKee
1994 Nicky Butt
1995 Kevin Pilkington
1996 Michael Appleton
1997 Michael Clegg
1998 Michael Twiss
1999 Mark Wilson
2000 Jonathan Greening
2001 Michael Stewart
2002 John O'Shea
2003 Darren Fletcher
2004 David Jones
2005 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
2006 Giuseppe Rossi
2007 Kieran Lee
2008 Richard Eckersley
2009 James Chester

Ritchie De Laet, Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year

Rooney Wins Club Award Treble

Wayne Rooney has been named Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year for 2010 after a fantastic season for United.

It's the second time he's won the award, as voted for by United fans around the world, following his original success in 2006.

He won by a landslide this year, receiving 83 per cent of the votes cast on ManUtd.com. Patrice Evra and Antonio Valencia were in second and third place respectively.

On receiving the trophy, Wayne said: "I’m delighted to win the fans’ Player of the Year award. It's a special feeling and something I’m really proud of.

"The fans come and watch us all over the country and all over Europe and pay a lot of money to do it. The support they give us is unbelievable.

"If we’re playing at home and the game isn’t going right for us and we need to score a goal to win it, the fans push you on. You can feel that, you can sense that on the pitch. It’s a magical feeling really. And the fans away from home are incredible. They’re the best fans in the world."

Rooney is the first Englishman to be named United's Player of the Year since Teddy Sheringham in 2001. Should he retain it in 2011, he'll become only the second man to win it three times, emulating Cristiano Ronaldo (2004, 2007 and 2008).

Wayne's club accolade completes a personal Player of the Year hat-trick for this season, after his peers in the PFA and the nation's top football journalists in the FWA also made him their top man for 2009/10.

He won a hat-trick of club awards on Tuesday night, also collecting the Players' Player of the Year accolade from Sir Alex Ferguson and the Goal of the Season trophy for his strike on the counter-attack against Arsenal on 31 January.

Wayne admitted he was "a bit surprised I got Goal of the Season. I think Michael Owen's winner against Manchester City should have won it.

"But I think the one against Arsenal was the best I scored. Most of my goals this season have been tap-ins so it was nice to be a bit more involved in the build-up for a goal like that. It was a quick break and I was tired at the end of the run!

"It's always nice to score against Arsenal. It came at an important time in the game, to make it 2-0, and it was a good goal. I was delighted with it."

Although he could narrowly miss out on a fourth championship medal this weekend, Rooney is rightly still happy with his work during 2009/10.

"This has definitely been my best season. I’ve played well and I’ve become more consistent in my goal scoring which is something I wanted to do. I’ve also scored more headers this season. To score any goal is great but to score with my head when I’m not the tallest player is extra special!"

Wayne Rooney, Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year

Wayne Rooney, Players' Player of the Year

Wayne Rooney, Goal of the Season winner 2010