Source: PA
Higginbotham happy to help
Danny Higginbotham will answer Stoke boss Tony Pulis' call to arms, but admits watching Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Bolton is not an experience he is looking forward to.
The defender scored the winning goal in the Potters' quarter-final triumph over West Ham last month but a cruciate ligament injury sustained in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea has put him on the sidelines for the rest of the season and beyond.
Higginbotham, who was an unused substitute for Southampton in their FA Cup final defeat by Arsenal in 2003, is one of the most experienced players in Stoke's squad and Pulis immediately earmarked a leading role off the pitch for the 32-year-old this weekend.
He told The Sentinel: "The gaffer really wants me to be there around the lads. I wasn't 100% sure, but I think I will look back and realise it was the right thing to be among them. Anything I can do to help the lads out, I'll do it because it's not about me.
"It won't be easy watching the game because I've been 15 years a pro and the opportunity to play at Wembley doesn't come along very often. But I'm desperate for us to win - and no-one would be happier than me if we do and get to the final."
