Jordan Henderson: Liverpool midfielder happy he stayed

England international Henderson joined Liverpool in 2011 from Sunderland, but had also attracted interest from Manchester United.

However, Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that Henderson's gait was a concern and he opted against a move following talks with then-Sunderland boss Steve Bruce.

Henderson, though, was not troubled by Ferguson's comments and told the Mail on Sunday: "It was sort of a compliment, to be honest. If you read what was said, he and Steve Bruce were talking and Steve was speaking very highly of me at the time.

"And Sir Alex decided against a move because of my running style. I think I must have been doing something right for him to be watching me so closely!

"I tend not to look too much into it. I just have to focus on myself and make sure that I feel physically right. If it works for me, it works for me. No one had ever said anything before. Like I say, he knows what he's talking about."

Henderson could have lasted just 12 months at Anfield, though, after he was offered to Fulham as part of a deal that would have taken Clint Dempsey to Liverpool following Brendan Rodgers' appointment as manager.

The 23-year-old was given the option to decide his future and is pleased he chose to stay at Liverpool after establishing himself as a key figure this season.

He added: "I still had a good relationship with the manager and he spoke to me to say what I needed to do to improve my game. He couldn't guarantee that I would start every week. But I think he still wanted me to stay, to improve.

"It was an easy decision for me because I felt I had a lot more to give. I had confidence and belief that I would go away and work on the things that he said and get myself back in the team. He has helped a lot with my game. When I look back to when he first came to now, I can see where I improved.

"At the time, the biggest thing for me was tactical: knowing when and where I needed to be defensive and attacking and when to and press. I was that energetic. I wanted to run about everywhere. So I needed to think about the game more."