Man Utd defender enjoying regular football

The Northern Ireland international has been a regular in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first team recently due to the absence of Rio Ferdinand through injury.

He said: “It is very rare for him (Ferguson) to say anything bad about his players. He always gives them 100 per cent backing. It is great to have that from a manager.

“You have to be on your toes as well as you cannot upset him. You have seen what he has done in the past. If you you are taking your eye off the ball, he will get rid of you.

“He treats everyone as men. Everyone has got to deal with certain situations but if you need to go to him, he is there for you. He just wants you to enjoy your football.

“I played over 30 games last season, which was more than I expected. It is great to get those games under your belt. But I know I still need to improve as there are some fantastic players here.”