Matthew Mills insists he has no regrets about moving to Manchester City - but has already warned Gareth Bale not to rush a move to the Premiership.

The defender would have hoped to be a regular in City's first team by now and ready to welcome Saints, the club with whom he served his scholarship, to the City of Manchester Stadium.

But he will not be involved in Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie.

Instead he will begin a month's loan at Saints' Championship rivals Colchester United next week, a year after following Steve Wigley to Manchester City for £250,000.

"I've been in the squad now for a couple of months but Stuart Pearce and Steve Wigley are really nice blokes and have let me go because they know that I want to play and get some first-team experience," said Mills.

Mills is still in contact with the likes of Leon Best and Martin Cranie - and has been impressed as anyone at the rise of Bale.

"Although Gareth is a couple of years below me I played with him a few times but I don't recall anyone really mentioning him as someone to look out for when he was first given a scholarship, like they did with Theo Walcott.

"He's come from nowhere, he wasn't even close to the first team when I left but has just exploded since then."

Mills first realised that Bale might be a special talent while watching him play an FA Youth Cup tie against Bolton in Leyland, Preston, this time last year.

Bale was outstanding that night in front of Bolton boss Sam Allardyce, and went on to make his first-team debut just three months later.

Mills, whose brother Joseph has replaced Bale at left back in Saints' youth team, added: "I said after that game in Preston that he'd make the first team. I also told Gareth he'd soon be worth a lot of money if he kept playing like that.

"He laughed, I don't think he took me seriously, but I told him that whatever big decisions he makes, he shouldn't rush them. Now he's worth £10m!"

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