Wes Brown would be happy to commit himself to Manchester United for the rest of his career.

The England defender is coming to the end of his ninth season as a first-team player with the Red Devils and is hoping to celebrate by squeezing out John O'Shea in the battle to take skipper Gary Neville's spot in the FA Cup final side to face Chelsea at Wembley tomorrow.

It has been a strange season for the 28-year-old, who has been a regular at the beginning and end of United's season but for a 20-game spell in the middle was largely restricted to a place on the bench at best.

The prolonged absence, coming just before the transfer window opened in January, led to suggestions Brown would be leaving Old Trafford, if not in the new year then certainly in the summer.

It is the kind of speculation the Manchester-born player has had to cope with quite often during his career.

Yet Brown has no intention of going anywhere. And, although he only has a year on his present contract to run, he has made it quite clear he would be willing to sign another one.

''I have been at Manchester United since I was a kid and I always want to be here,'' he said.

''A lot of people have asked me about my future but that was just because I wasn't playing for a certain stage of the season.

''If you are not getting selected, it is normal for people to start talking. But I just get on with it. I am playing now and everything is fine.

''When you look at this last week, winning the title and now the Cup final, it shows why you want to be at a club like this.''

Twice selected for England World Cup squads without ever making an actual appearance in the tournament, Sir Alex Ferguson has often referred to Brown as the best natural defender he has ever worked with.

However, the United academy product's career has been blighted by a serious of injuries which include cruciate operations on both knees.

Unfortunately for Brown, in the one season when his fitness has held, his path to a regular place in his favoured central defensive role has been blocked by the partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Brown's determination to break the pairing up has never wavered, although he admits if Ferdinand and Vidic are fit, they should be selected.

''You have to play them because they have had such a great season together,'' he said.

''They are the backbone of what we have achieved this year and you have to give them credit for that.

''But it doesn't affect the way I approach things. I am a Manchester United player and every time I am selected, I will try my heart out.''

Having experienced success and failure in his two cup final outings so far, Brown is eager to ensure the trip to Wembley is a positive one, particularly given United were being dismissed as a spent force 12 months ago.

''A lot of people were writing us off, saying we wouldn't win anything again,'' he observed.

''But the Premiership is already in the bag, so we are one game away from completing another Double. That is an excellent place to be at.

''In fact, considering we haven't done so well in the last few seasons, it would be right up there among our very best achievements if we can pull it off.''

Apart from offering Brown an opportunity to play, the other spin-off from Neville's ankle injury is that Ryan Giggs will lead United out for the first time in a major final.

''I used to watch him when I was a kid, which just shows how old he is,'' laughed Brown.

''Ryan is a legend at this club. He has always been the best and his drive and determination are amazing."