" Butt may quit Man Utd"
Butt´s appearances have been restricted this season
Manchester United´s Nicky Butt admits he may have to quit Old Trafford to play regular first-team football.
The England midfield man has made only nine starts this season and was not even a substitute against Aston Villa.
He said: " My situation has looked bleak this season - I would be lying if I said otherwise.
" Nobody in their right mind would want to leave this club if they are happy but at times I have thought this could be it for me - things are pretty dire."
Butt, described by Pele as one of the players of the 2002 World Cup, has been restricted by Phil Neville´s impressive form, plus the presence of skipper Roy Keane.
And in-form Brazilian World Cup winner Kleberson has also squeezed Butt out of Ferguson´s first-choice side.
The weekend return of Paul Scholes from groin surgery, plus the anticipated January comeback of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, will only increase competition for midfield places.
It has left Butt, who has made more than 350 appearances for the club, facing the unhappy prospect of becoming the second member of the Red Devils´ famed class of 92 - David Beckham was the first - to leave.
" My situation has looked bleak this season - I would be lying if I said otherwise"
Butt revealed he has had a couple of amicable chats with Ferguson about his situation and the United manager has urged him to be patient and wait for his chance.
However, at 28, the Gorton-born player, who won his 31st England cap against Denmark in November, knows time is not on his side.
If he fails to reclaim a regular first-team berth at United, his international place would be at risk ahead of next summer´s European Championships.
" I have been playing here for 10 years and I don´t want to leave," said Butt.
" But at my age I do need to be playing and at the moment things are pretty dire for me.
" Hopefully I have a good few years´ left but the last thing I want is to get to the end of my career and reflect that I wasted so much time when I wasn´t playing because you can never get it back.
" When you are in this situation, you do start to think about having to play away from United. Maybe it is a bit premature to think that way.
" I keep getting told all sorts of things about clubs being interested but I won´t take any notice until the manager comes and tells me."