Despite rumours to the contrary, Shaun Goater is adamant he is staying with Manchester City.

The Bermudian hitman has been linked with a number of clubs over the past week or so, despite the fact he has just had his best ever season in England with the Premiership-bound Blues.

But although the 32-goal striker has seen his name bandied about in the press on the other side of the Atlantic, he is refusing to think of a life anywhere other than Maine Road.

At the end of last week, Goater, 32, was mentioned as interesting South Yorkshire side Sheffield United.

But Neil Warnock, boss of the First Division club, said it was unlikely his chairman would part with the cash needed to tempt Goater to step down a division after working so hard to get into the top flight.

"I've heard all the rumours," Warnock said. "Including the Goater story. But the truth is we have no chance of signing a big name - we couldn't afford Goater's wages for a start!"

There has also been mention some months ago of Goater making the short hop along the Pennines to Preston North End, the Lilywhites having just missed out on the First Division play-offs.

But yesterday Goater was having none of it.

"I can only say from the point of view of what I want. I will definitely be there," he said. "I have had no contact from the club and that is the procedure. If they were thinking about selling me they would agree a fee with somebody and then call me and say `Look, we have agreed a fee and we want you to go and talk'.

"At that point a player says either `No, I'm not going anywhere' or `OK'.

"For my part I am going to be there and I want to be there unless they come to me and say `Look Shaun, we want to part' and in that case I'll consider that at that time."

Goater admitted if City were tempted to cash in on him he would probably leave, albeit reluctantly. There would be no point, he agreed, in staying where he was not wanted.

"What can happen then, and I've seen it before, though not with Kevin Keegan, is that coaches make them train with the kids, 15-year-olds," he said. "You are talking about players who are 28 and 29 and have seen everything in the game. They are in a sense trying to destroy them and want them to say `I've had enough and I may as well leave'."

Goater admitted he had heard some of the rumours.

"I've heard Preston, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham.....," he said with a wry smile. "But I don't even think about all of that because it's wasted energy. What it would do would be to put me in the wrong frame of mind for returning (for the new season). Thinking `Am I going to be here?' or `Am I going to be there?'

"It is best for me just to say `I am going to be here, I am here' and get on with it and enjoy it."

Goater has two years left of a three year contract and says he is determined to see it out, despite his advancing years.

"In the main if you are playing at the top level in your mid-30s you have done well," said the frontman who topped City's appearance table last season. "I am sure you can find players who are 33 or 34 that are still at Premiership clubs but there are only a few of them. You want to stay in there as long as you can and that's certainly my intention."