Source: Daily_Mail
Stoke sign Matthew Upson
Matthew Upson has returned to the Barclays Premier League by signing a two-year deal with Stoke.[LNB]The England defender was out of contract after suffering relegation with West Ham last season. But he has now resolved his future by following Jonathan Woodgate, who joined from Spurs last month, to the Britannia Stadium.[LNB]Upson said: 'The manager has talked to me about the culture here, the discipline and the organisation and that is an environment which I am looking forward to working in.[LNB] Free agent: Matthw Upson has joined Stoke on a two-year deal after his release from relegated West Ham[LNB]'There is a lot of competition for places here and that is part of the attraction. I will relish the fight for a spot because it draws the best out of the players.'[LNB]Boss Tony Pulis said: 'This is another fantastic deal for this football club when you consider the quality and experience of the lad.[LNB]'We now have strength in depth in our defence with both Matthew and Jonathan on board and we've managed to achieve that without a significant outlay on transfer fees, which is quite remarkable in today's market of vastly inflated prices.[LNB]'Their experience of performing at the highest level will be a valuable asset to us because we have some good young defenders and a young goalkeeper.[LNB]'Matthew was anxious to stay in the Premier League following his departure from West Ham and he sees this move as the perfect opportunity for him to further his ambitions in the game at both club and international levels in the future.'[LNB] The (un)wanted list! Vieira, Hargreaves and Woodgate lead summer transfer freebiesWest Ham fire sale: Who will be on their way and for how much?Sign up for our FREE Fantasy Football game and your chance to win a share of ?40,000All the latest Stoke news, features and opinion[LNB]
