RYAN SHAWCROSS today paid tribute to those people who have offered him support over the past three weeks since the Aaron Ramsey incident . . . including his former boss Sir Alex Ferguson and England colleague Steve Gerrard.

The 22-year-old defender is hoping to shrug off an ankle knock and make his return to action after a three match suspensionin the Barclays Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Shawcross, who earned his first call-up to the full England squad within hours of his red card in the Arsenal match for the tackle on Ramsey, is eager to get back to playing again after serving the three-match ban for that sending off.

Speaking for the first time about the Ramsey incident, he admitted: "The people around me have been absolutely fantastic over these past few weeks and the messages of support I have received have certainly been a big help.

"When Sir Alex Ferguson called me, I could hear them celebrating their Carling Cup triumph in the background at Wembley, so he had obviously gone out of his way to contact me, which just goes to show what kind of a man he is.

"He told me to keep my head up and that I was an honest lad who didn't mean it. He congratulated me on my England call-up, saying that I had to focus on how far I had come in the game and how well I had done as well."

He added: "Steven Gerrard sent me a text before I joined up with the England squad to welcome me on board. He said 'we all know it was an honest tackle', which is something he didn't have to do, but he did. He's one of the best players in the world who has won the Champions League and I am just a young lad, so he didn't have to do that.

"All of the England players went out of their way to have a word with me and Tony Pulis was fantastic, texting and calling me every day.

"There are so many who have been such a great support. Rory Delap, who is a good friend, came round on the night after the Arsenal match.

"That was a bizarre night because I was gutted at what had happened to Aaron and so when the gaffer rang to say I'd been called up by England, it didn't really sink in. I should have been jumping up and down at being picked for the first time, it's the biggest achievement of my career, but it was quite a weird feeling in the circumstances.

"It wasn't until I had completed a couple of training sessions after joining up with the England squad that it really sunk in what I had achieved."

Shawcross has sent his best wishes to Ramsey as he begins the long road back to recovery, saying: "He is a fantastic player and hopefully he will be a fantastic player again. It was an horrific injury and we all hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.

"I want to concentrate now on writing the headlines for all the right reasons and hope I can make the 30-man squad for the World Cup build-up in Austria. Everyone dreams of going to a World Cup, but it's not just about me, it's about doing my best for Stoke and ensuring that we finish what has been another good season for the Club."

*Read a full interview with Ryan Shawcross in Stoke City's matchday magazine for the Tottenham game which will be on sale tomorrow.