Source: FOOTYMAD
Woodgate Keeps The Reaper At Bay
Former Toon skipper Jonathan Woodgate is confident Stoke's medical staff can keep him on the field, allowing him to prove his worth. The England international has agreed a pay-as-you-play deal with the Potters after enduring wretched luck with injuries down the years ... so much so Harry Redknapp said he should retire. Since leaving Leeds back in 2003, the 31-year-old has been unable to steer clear of the treatment table at Newcastle, Real Madrid, Middlesbrough and Tottenham. Jonathan Woodgate: "Hopefully I can stay fit now because I feel I still have a lot to offer at this level. "It was important for me to work hard on my fitness during the summer because I wasn't sure where I would be playing and I knew that would decide my future. "So hopefully I can stay fit now because I feel I still have a lot to offer at this level. "With the back-up from the medical and sports science department which they have here at Stoke, that can only help my prospects of doing that. "I was thrilled when Tony Pulis asked me to come and join the club. "I'd spoken to him a couple of times about the progress that Stoke have made over the past three seasons and his plans for the future in aiming to build on that success."
