Cardiff City striker Craig Bellamy has revealed that Manchester United were interested in signing him on two occasions in the past 11 years.

The 34-year-old admitted that when he was at Newcastle United the Red Devils approached his agent but Bellamy turned down the move and used the interest to garner a better contract from the Magpies.

However, that wasn't the end of Sir Alex Ferguson's interest as he also made an approach in 2010 when Bellamy was at Manchester City, but the Citizens refused to allow any discussions to take place.

Bellamy told The Mirror: "It's true – my adviser had a ­conversation with United in 2010, shortly before I came to Cardiff on loan. It was great to feel wanted, and I would have loved to do it, but it was never going to be allowed to happen.

"If Man City had agreed to it, then great. But, point-blank, they said no, and I never once pushed it. After Carlos Tevez had moved in the ­opposite direction the year before, I didn't expect anything to come of it.

"Actually, there was a link with Sir Alex as far back as 2002, when my representatives went to see him at United's training ground, with a view to a move going ahead. But Newcastle had just qualified for the Champions League, I loved playing for Sir Bobby Robson and had just been offered a new contract there. To be honest, I used an inquiry from United to hold out for a better deal."

Cardiff face United on Sunday in their Premier League clash.