Striker Berbatov relishes move to Old Trafford

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov said yesterday the opportunity of fulfilling a personal dream and winning trophies were the reasons he has signed for Manchester United.

"My only aim was to wear the United shirt," Berbatov, who turned down an offer from Old Trafford to join Tottenham Hotspur from German side Bayer Leverkusen in 2006, told a news conference.

"I'm happy because now my dream of playing at the highest level has come true. It has been a hard month but I'm pleased that everything has been done now.

"It's a dream move because United are the biggest club in the world and hopefully I'll be able to produce my best in the coming seasons."

The Bulgaria captain joined the English and European champions on a four-year contract for a club record fee of 30.75 million pounds ($55.53 million) shortly before the transfer window closed on Monday.

Despite Tottenham's reluctance to sell, Berbatov was determined to move to Manchester once he was aware of United's interest.

"There was a possibility to join United before but I think that I had a better chance to show my abilities by being a Tottenham player," he said.

He said he would always be grateful to the Tottenham management for making the deal possible and to their fans for their support.

"I have to say thank you to everyone at Tottenham for bringing me to English football and I'll always remain grateful," Berbatov added.

"Yes, I know that some people criticised me but don't expect from me to say a bad word about anyone at Spurs, players or coaches."

Berbatov could make his debut against Liverpool on September 13 where he would come up against his former Tottenham team-mate Robbie Keane.

The pair formed a brilliant striking partnership at Tottenham with Berbatov becoming a crowd favourite after scoring 46 goals in 102 matches in his last two memorable seasons.

"It was great to play alongside him and I'll always remember him as a tremendous striker," Berbatov said.

"But it's over now and we have to concentrate on our new tasks."

Berbatov's agent Emil Danchev said the deal had come close to failure several times.

"It's no secret that relations between the two clubs are not flourishing," he said.

Berbatov has long been a target for Alex Ferguson but United appeared in danger of missing out on the Bulgarian striker on Monday when rivals Manchester City made an audacious late bid for the player.

"I can tell you that City's offer was better in financial terms but he (Berbatov) remained adamant and looked only in one direction," Danchev said.