Speaking on Radio Five Live's programme, 'The Real Alex Ferguson', Ince said that Ferguson often asked players to consider club before country, sometimes he would say: ‘I don't want you going to England because we have a big game the week afterwards'.
"But it's a bit harsh on the player. You should never turn your country down. But that is between Ferguson and Sven to sort out. Sometimes you think Ferguson is bigger than England. Sometimes that is the case. I have always wanted to play for my country since I was a kid. I have always wanted to get as many games and caps as I could. If he had tried to stop me I would have gone anyway."
Lee Sharpe also waded in claiming Ferguson told him to fake injury, so he could rest rather than join England.
"I have not gone to under-21 trips because he's said I've got a calf strain, a hamstring strain and I am not going," Sharpe said.
"Because it was a long trip, maybe a friendly, we've had a big game on the Saturday and we've got a big game the Saturday after, so he's asked me to stay home and stay fresh. So he will come to you and say 'You don't want to go there, do you? Say you've got a calf strain and we'll pull you out'."
Sharpe said he now accepts Ferguson's reasoning.
"I think he is well within his rights to do that. The club pay the players a hell of a lot of money these days. They have a lot of games and it means a lot of revenue. You send your players away on international duty and two or three of them get injured at once, you are jeopardising the club's chances of success. It's right to keep players fresh."
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