How I knew it was right to turn down Sir Alex Ferguson

The dream for most aspiring young players is to get signed by a pro club.

Beyond that, if it's a Premier League club, then that's even more of a bonus. A higher level of achievement is when the actual Premier League Champions want to sign you as a pro. More again - when it's one of the biggest clubs in the world.

A young Ashley Westwood was happy playing grassroots in 1991. Then the invite to join a school of excellence comes along.

The Class of 92

When young players join pro clubs they tend not to think about their pathway to the first team. What's in front is all that matters.

"I play for Manchester United" the actual squad? hey, that doesn't matter.

As you get older and move up the ranks, things start to take a bit of a serious turn. 'This could be my life'. From the school of excellence, the progression is schoolboy forms then a YTS. Standing for Youth Training Scheme, a scholar is the equal today.

When Ashley did get taken in at The Cliff training ground, it was a chance to rub shoulders with the greats. Robson, Hughes & Cantona. It was also a chance to see what was standing in your way to make it. A year or two above Westwood were a group of young players who'd later become 'The Class of 92'.

Now, that's some challenge. Well, not for Ashley with confidence instilled from a young age, the ego becomes bigger. More so because he was backing it up with how he played.

He was on a high, not only would he go on to win the FA Youth Cup with United, but he made the England youth squads too. It was official; he was one of the best players in the country. This recognition on the pitch wasn't shown off it. The game has financially changed since Westwood was at Old Trafford in the early to mid-'90s.

His playing success then translated today; he'd have been a millionaire at 18. Sir Alex Ferguson kept a tight lid on how his fledgelings spend. Shell suits, Adidas Gazelles and bottles of Fahrenheit were the purchases of choice at the time.

I want more

Westwood achieved a lot of success by the time he was 19; he'd even become a regular in the reserve team at Old Trafford. So, when the time came to negotiate a new contract with the club, the £25 a week rise didn't get him too excited.

Now, the club's thinking and intentions were to keep the youngsters hungry.

That's all well and good, but when the riches of the 1st team players is there for all to see, you start to question things.

You can understand Westwood wanting reward; it wasn't as if he was 4 or 3 teams away from the 1st team. He was within touching distance of it.

The kind of character I was, I believed I deserved £50,000 nevermind £5,000

Ashley Westwood - exclusively to football4football

But this was Manchester United. One team away can feel like a million teams away. Well, at least ten places away. Big clubs have big squads. Westwood started to take a look at the long-term likelihood of 'breaking through'. The squad size and also the number of people playing in his position became a realisation. With what was on offer, he may as well 'push the envelope. Accept the low pay but ask the gaffer for a signing-on fee!

This request fell on deaf ears. He didn't even want to go on a spending speer; it was to buy a car to make getting into training more manageable.

LET'S TALK: Ferguson, an intimidating character in normal situations - In contract negotiations? All the best!

Well that escalated

What started out as an offer soon turned into a standoff. The conversation spiralled out of control to the point that he was about to look for another club. That ego and confidence to back himself had created a 'situation'. Fair-play to the defender, he was in a corner but was going to fight.

Get into my 1st team and I'll look after you

Sir Alex - to Westwood

A few conversations with his national team manager meant he was on the way to Crewe Alexandra. The famed production line was an astute professional option. He could stay around at Old Trafford, on low-money and makeup the training sessions.

Staying would give him the status of being a 'Manchester United player', or he could play at a smaller club. If your good enough, your good enough and you'll move up the leagues.

First team

The proof was in the pudding. Westwood went to Crewe and played over 100 1st team games by the time he was 20. He would make it to the Premier League with Bradford City. But let's rewind. Leaving Manchester United to go Crewe, wasn't easy. There were no emotional ties to the place but there was a last-minute shift in valuation. Players that leave Manchester United do tend to warrant elevated transfer values.

A fee agreed in the heat of the moment, went up by four times.

Good business by the selling club to maximise a potential return? Or it could've been a last-ditch attempt to keep him, without having to say - PLEASE!

Move on

Well, the tribunal that decided the eventual fee considered all things. Age, previous contract & new contract offer were all taken into account.

With it all agreed, United & player parted ways with no sour feeling either side. Westwood, who became a manager, still had the odd chat with Sir Alex out of mutual respect. Time is a great healer and also confirmation of making right choices. Playing until he was 35 years age gives him comfort and confirms he made a sound career decision.

Stay or Go?

Was Westwood right to leave Manchester United, what would you do?

Manchester United