Stoke city defender Ryan Shawcross has said that one of the great reasons for the much improved form of the club’s defence is due to the partnership with Robert Huth, who he considers as his best friend. The pair are very close to making 100 league games since coming together four years ago. Huth came from Middlesbrough, while Shawcross was a £ 1 million signing from Manchester United. There was danger of this partnership being broken due to interest from United a few years ago, but it seems that Shawcross will be a Stoke player for the time being.

Stoke appointed Mark Hughes in the summer in the hope of bringing a change to the style of play. It has worked to some extent, while the club has also been getting results on the pitch as well. Even though they are close to the relegation zone, the fact that they have conceded just one goal per game is a positive aspect for Hughes and his men. There have been some reports of Hughes trying to change the style of training at the club, but Shawcross has dismissed such reports as baseless because the players are more than happy with the training methods of the Welshman.

The club will be taking on inform West Brom when the international break gets over.

“We get on well together off the pitch and that’s half the battle. We want each other to do well and we communicate well before, during and after games. Our main aim is to keep clean sheets and luckily enough we’ve been able to do that a bit over the years. Abdy Faye was great in the first year in the Premier League, but Robert is tough and has been consistent for eight years at Chelsea, Middlesbrough and here,” said Shawcross.