Alex Ferguson reveals why Man Utd chose not to sign David Silva

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Manchester United chose not to sign David Silva because of doubts over the Manchester City man's ability to contribute in defence.

The 29-year-old was playing for Valencia at the time and being scouted by a number of Europe’s biggest clubs, before joining City for a reported £24 million in the summer of 2010.

The playmaker has gone on to win the Premier League twice, the FA Cup and the League Cup for City, scoring 34 Premier League goals and creating 52 more in over 200 appearance.

"We watched Silva a lot when he was at Valencia," the Scotsman revealed in an interview promoting his new book.

"My problem with [Silva playing as a No.10] was you have to be very, very good to play in that position, because there's no defensive duties for them.

"So if you're wanting to be be really successful, everyone has to take their turn, has to work, you know? So I had a difficulty with that."

Ferguson, however, did agree that a number of the game's greatest players built their reputations in the No.10 position without much defensive abilities.

He added: "You could say Lionel Messi was a No.10 type, [Diego] Maradona, some fantastic players, and I don't dispute that.

"But at United we always found it difficult. The kind of No.10 I used came from my experience as a footballer."