Stoke City Football Club News

• Nickname:Potters
• Founded:1863
• Manager:Tony Pulis

• Ground:Britannia Stadium
• Capacity:28,218

City to open Shawcross talks

15 Oct 2009 - 11:14:50

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Stoke City chairman Peter Coates has confirmed that the club have opened contract talks with central defender Ryan Shawcross.

The 22-year-old still has another two years of his current contract to run at the Britannia Stadium and has been attracting interest from a number of clubs due to his recent performances.

Coates told The Sentinel: "He's a big asset to us and is a very promising young player, but he needs to keep his feet on the ground and not get carried away.

"He's got a lot of hard work to do and I think our coaching staff deserve credit for the way they have developed him. But he also deserves praise because he is dedicated to what he does.

"We always try to look after contracts. Players are valuable assets, so it is important to make sure you look after the contracts. Ryan is a good example of that.

"He is one of the best young centre-backs in the Premier League."