'Berbatov wants to end career at Old Trafford'

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov would be happy to stay with Manchester United until the end of his career, the player's agent said on Saturday.

"I'm almost sure he (Berbatov) will finish his competitive career with United," Emil Danchev told Bulgarian TV +. "He is a very balanced person and he knows what is best for him."

Berbatov, whose contract with the Old Trafford side expires in 2012, came under fire for not scoring enough goals in the first two seasons following his 30.75 million pounds ($48.03 million) move from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008.

The former CSKA Sofia striker was also criticised for being inconsistent and not working hard enough for the team but the 29-year-old has rediscovered his killer instinct and is top of this season's Premier League scoring charts with 11 goals.

"There are different characters at United and there's big competition too. Berbatov sets an example to everyone in the team," added Danchev, who has always represented the player.

Last week, Berbatov became only the fourth Premier League player to score five times in one match when he helped destroy Blackburn Rovers in a 7-1 win to follow in the footsteps of childhood hero Alan Shearer, Andy Cole and Jermain Defoe.

In September, he became the first United player to score a hat-trick against Liverpool since Stan Pearson achieved the feat in a 5-0 victory over their Merseyside rivals in 1946 when the Bulgarian's goals secured a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford.

However, Danchev held out very little hope that Berbatov would change his mind and return to international football.

Bulgaria's all-time leading scorer, with 48 goals, quit the Balkan country's national team in May citing fatigue and family commitments for his surprise announcement.

"He decided to make way for some younger players in the team," Danchev said.