• Premier League

Fergie regrets missing out on £100,000 Hart

Joe Hart has become a key figure for Manchester City and England © Getty Images

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Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he made a mistake in failing to sign goalkeeper Joe Hart for £100,000 when he had the chance.

Hart has become a key part of Manchester City's Premier League title charge this season, after United's arch-rivals initially paid Shrewsbury Town around £600,000 to sign him while still a teenager back in 2006.

Ferguson has now revealed he had the chance to capture the shot-stopper even before that, a missed opportunity the Scot now regrets as Hart has gone on to prove himself arguably the brightest English goalkeeping talent of the last 20 years.

United, meanwhile, have had issues with the No. 1 position this season - as £20 million summer signing David De Gea has struggled to settle and understudy Anders Lindegaard has recently been sidelined through injury.

"I could have bought Joe Hart for £100,000 so we all make mistakes," Ferguson told the BBC.

He added: "If you look at the England goalkeeper situation for the last 20 years, I would think he's easily the best."

In a wide-ranging interview that also touched on his favourite music, 70-year-old Ferguson confirmed that he still believes he has another two or three years left as manager of United - intimating that if his health remains he will only leave Old Trafford when the time is right.

"I think you always want to go out on a winning note," he added. "Hopefully we can do that.

"I don't know how long I can last now but if my health stays up I don't think another two or three years would harm me."

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