Walters feeling settled at Stoke

07 October 2010 09:30
Stoke forward Jon Walters believes his recent form on the pitch owes much to the settled life he is now leading off it. The 27-year-old has made a notable contribution for the Potters since joining from Ipswich in August and last weekend scored his first Barclays Premier League goal to secure a 1-0 victory against Blackburn, one of his former clubs. Walters played for Blackburn in his youth before being signed by current Rovers manager Sam Allardyce for Bolton, but he made only a handful of appearances for Wanderers and moved on to various lower-league outfits after that. The Birkenhead-born player admits he did not look after himself properly as a youngster, but now things have calmed down for him away from football, Walters feels he will be able to make the most of his return to top-flight competition. "I've done well and settled in nicely," Walters told Press Association Sport. "I'm working hard on and off the pitch and settling into the team. "Getting everything sorted off the pitch helps on it and the people at the club, the backroom staff, have helped me to do that. If you can settle off the pitch, it all comes together on it."

Source: PA