Pulis keen to keep Shawcross

Tony Pulis has made it clear that he is keen to keep Ryan Shawcross at the Brit until at least the end of the season.

The 20 year old has been on loan from Manchester United since the start of the season and has been a revelation to the Championship as a whole. The defender has been a consistent performer at both ends of the pitch, scoring six goals already this season and picking up a 'Championship player of the month' award in the process.

Such feats do not go unnoticed and with the player out of contract in the summer his boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, has to consider if such a bright future belongs at Old Trafford. Good defender he may be, but he's still several rungs down the Man U ladder and is unlikely to want to settle for a place on the Reds' reserve team after a regular spot in the Potters' first team.

It's rumoured that Derby are sniffing around Shawcross and are ready to table an offer of £1m. The Rams are currently languishing at the foot of the Premier League and it would be surprising if Ryan is keen to join a team that's easily got the worst defensive record in the League and face the next six months in a relegation dogfight just to end up back in the Championship next season.

Pulis says that a decision will be made soon by Ferguson, but hopes that Shawcross's publicly expressed desire to remain at the Brit will swing things in our favour.