Barclays Premier League

Manchester United v Stoke City (3pm)

1. ​

   Higginbotham aims to bring home the bacon

by Michael Baggaley

DANNY Higginbotham was once so in awe of Ryan Giggs that he couldn't eat a bacon sandwich in his presence.

The Stoke City defender, and lifelong Manchester United fan, returns to Old Trafford tomorrow on a mission to try to stop Giggs and the Premier League and European champions from adding Stoke to their list of conquests.

Higginbotham, from Altrincham, saw Sir Alex Ferguson's revolution at first hand having joined United as a nine-year-old in 1987 and staying until moving to Derby 13 years and six first-team games later.

He was lucky – or unlucky – enough to be coming through the ranks at Old Trafford just as the home-grown class of Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Butt and the Nevilles were taking the Premier League and Europe by storm.

He won't be awestruck if he faces Giggs again tomorrow, but has nothing but admiration for the dedication which took Fergie and his players to the top.

He said: "I used to go to the school of excellence a couple of days a week when that group with Beckham, Butt and Scholes would come and train with us. I was 11 or 12 and they would have been first-year apprentices.

"At the end of the session, there would be a goal up with a tyre in the top corners. As we were going home, Beckham would be there practising putting free-kicks through the tyre.

"That was when he was 16 and no one knew anything about him. It gives you some idea of the dedication he had.

"That group got there through excellent coaching and their own hard work. They were unbelievable professionals and also had so much time for us younger lads to help us out.

"My dad used to drop me off at the bottom of the road that leads up to The Cliffe, where the training ground was.

"I used to buy myself a bit of breakfast, so was walking up the road one day with a bacon sandwich dripping with tomato sauce.

"I was watching all the flash cars go past when one stopped next to me and Ryan Giggs said he'd give me a lift.

"I remember spending the whole journey thinking please, please, don't drop any tomato sauce in here."

Listen to Arsene Wenger and you would think Higginbotham and his Stoke colleagues grew up to feed entirely on raw meat.

Ferguson was one of the managers who defended Stoke's approach. He sat on the League Manager's Association panel which awarded Stoke performance of the week for their 2-1 humbling of Arsenal a fortnight ago.

But Higginbotham didn't need Fergie's latest support to respect the manager who stuck by him through good times and bad.

The worst of those times came in 1999 after Higginbotham, then 20, became the first United player to be loaned to Royal Antwerp as part of an arrangement which is still working between the clubs. But his spell in Belgium ended in a controversial end-of-season play off game. Fellow United loanee Ronnie Wallwork was accused of attacking the referee, and Higginbotham was charged with insulting the same official.

Wallwork was banned from football for life and Higginbotham for a year. But after an appeal, Wallwork's penalty was cut to a year, in Belgian football, and Higginbotham's to four months.

Higginbotham strongly maintains his innocence, but remains grateful for Ferguson's support through an episode which threatened to derail his career.

He said: "What was portrayed was a load of rubbish, but the referee was FIFA listed, so his word was gospel.

"Alex Ferguson had plenty of things to do dealing with the first team, but flew out to Belgium to be a character witness for us. It was a very difficult time, but he took us to one side, said not to worry, and the club would sort everything out.

"He also gave us a new contract and I will always be grateful for what he did.

"I have played against United a few times since leaving and he has always been absolutely brilliant.

"I got relegated with Southampton playing against United and he waited for me in the tunnel afterwards just to say how sorry he was. He didn't have to do that, but it shows what he is like as a person as well as a manager."

Higginbotham's happier memories of facing United include winning at Old Trafford to ensure Premier League survival with Derby in 2000/2001.

Rory Delap, who was also in the Derby side that day, raised some eyebrows by telling The Sentinel that then Rams manager Jim Smith's team selection was inspired by some passing ducks.

"It is absolutely true," said Higginbotham. "We were staying near to Manchester at Mottram Hall.

"When we got up, we all knew roughly what the team was, but we didn't have a formation.

"Jim Smith then saw some ducks walking in the garden. I don't know if there were 10 or 11 of them, but he said it was a sign.

"He played that formation and we got a deserved win. The lads played brilliantly, so there was a method to the madness.

"Jim Smith was a great manager and a brilliant character. He did tremendously to keep us up that season.

"It was a big achievement for us because, just like Stoke, everybody had written us off."

Most of the pundits were predicting a swift return to the Championship for Stoke when they were second bottom of the table with four points a month ago.

But a run of 10 points from five games has lifted them into 12th and showed they mean business, whatever the result at Old Trafford.

Higginbotham said: "Everybody had written us off, but we had a lot of lads who had come from the Championship and some of them hadn't played in the Premier League before.

"It is a bit of a culture shock and sometimes you can be too respectful.

"Maybe at times, earlier in the season, we were guilty of that. But now, from the manager's advice and from our own performances, we believe we do belong in this division.

"We have a right to be here and are going to work as hard as we can to stay here."

A win over United remains a long shot, in fact 22/1 with the betting company owned by City chairman Peter Coates.

However, Higginbotham and co aren't simply heading north to enjoy the prawn sandwiches.

He added: "It is a game everyone is looking forward to, but we have to look at the bigger picture.

"It is a game we want to get something from and we have already taken points from Liverpool and Arsenal.

"We know that, if both teams play to their best, then they will beat us. There's no doubt about that.

"But every team has an off day.

"Without putting ourselves down, we go there with no pressure. Let's see what we can get from it."