Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher has said that big-spending rivals Manchester City and Chelsea are not as big as the Old Trafford club.

The Scot, who insists that both sides will continue to pose a threat to the Red Devils in the near future, is convinced that United can remain on top of their rivals as long as Sir Alex Ferguson continues to lead them to success in all competitions.

"We don't want to give City the confidence of winning trophies to get to our level," he told The Mirror. "If City were to go on a run of winning a lot of trophies, then they would become a global club. But for world recognition, United stands out alone.

"Teams like Chelsea have won trophies and built on that success, but that's been maybe over a ten-year period.

"They still don't have the global appeal and size of Manchester United and that's how we want it to stay."

The Red Devils are currently two points behind league leaders Manchester City ahead of their clash on Sunday, Ocotber 23.