• Premier league

Shawcross not for sale - Stoke City

Ryan Shawcross has led Stoke to a current position of 12th in the Premier League © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Shawcross had time to pull out of tackle - Ramsey
  
• News: Ramsey vows to return strong
  
• News: Ramsey out for the season after surgery on broken leg
  
• News: Shawcross claims ''no malice'' in tackle
  

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has warned Sir Alex Ferguson that any attempts made to sign Ryan Shawcross will be declined, insisting that the defender "is our player and that is how we intend to keep it".

Shawcross, who left Manchester United for Stoke on loan before the move became permanent in January 2008, has impressed this season, helping the club to a healthy 12th place in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old committed his long-term future to the club in November 2009, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. However, with Ferguson holding first option on Shawcross as part of a clause in the £2 million deal that took him to the Britannia Stadium, Coates has moved quickly to assure Stoke fans their captain is not heading for the exit door.

"He's a good player, so there is always going to be interest in good players," he said in the Mirror. "But Ryan is our player and that is how we intend to keep it. He's not for sale.

"He's very settled in the area with his young family. I think everyone can see that he is advancing his career with us after joining us at an early age and progressing. We are good for him and he is good for us - and that is always the perfect partnership."

Saturday will see Shawcross face Arsenal for the first time since his tackle broke Aaron Ramsey's leg in two places in February. Despite the horrific incident - which Shawcross has since apologised for - the centre back admits the outcome could have been so different had the timing of the challenge been fractionally earlier.

"In the game I returned in soon after the Arsenal match, there was a tackle exactly the same as the Ramsey one, but I was a bit quicker and got the ball. That shows the difference," he said.

"It is just a case of half-seconds between you getting the ball or not. And sometimes if you don't get the ball, you can cause serious injury. But it is part of football and something we have to accept."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.