Stoke style swayed Allen

Stoke City’s transformation from Premier League bruisers to slick pass-and-move football is the hallmark of the Mark Hughes era, and new midfielder Joe Allen says it attracted him to the club.

The Welshman signed from Liverpool for £13m in the summer after impressing for Wales at the European Championships, joining the likes of Marko Arnautovic, Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan in Stoke’s creative ranks.

And the midfielder, who has already become a fan favourite, says he would not have moved to the Potteries if the club had not changed their style.

“It’s pretty obvious that my type of play would not have suited Stoke years ago but the likes of Shaqiri, Arnautovic, Bojan, Afellay, Imbula, players they have brought in and others that have already been there, Whelan, Walters, Crouch, the list went on and on,” he said.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

“It made it really appealing to me. That was one of the big reasons why I signed there.

“There were a few selling points: it was retaining the key players they had, they weren’t looking to sell anyone and they were actively seeking to bring more quality in.

“That was music to my ears as a player who was potentially looking to join them.”