Mark Hughes 'got very close' to losing Stoke star in summer over contract stalemate

Walters has been an important part of Mark Hughes' project at Stoke

STOKE boss Mark Hughes admits he feared he would lose Republic of Ireland goal hero Jon Walters.

 

The 32-year-old striker sparked an Irish party with his two goals against Bosnia on Monday that clinched a Euro 2016 finals spot.

And Hughes believes Stoke's decision to break their contract policy and give him a new two-year deal was part of the reason Walters is playing with a spring in his step.

Walters has scored five goals in nine games for the club this season and Hughes said: "It's fair to say we got very close to a point where he may well have left in the summer.

 

"That was something I certainly didn't want. But I'm delighted and in the end everybody is happy.

"I'm not sure whether I can take any credit for it but I was aware that nobody had got back to him and just asked whether the contract was still on the table and where we were up to.

"Jon is a low maintenance professional, a real leader who comes in and does his job and he's a trigger for us in that he drags people along with him.

"He's a leader. He's got where he is by hard work, resilience and determination and no shortage of talent."

 

Hughes had to break Stoke's contract policy to keep the Irishman

The Stoke boss said there was never any question of leaving Walters out of the side because of his contract stalemate.

"I made it clear to him that he was a very important part of what we are doing here," he added ahead of the trip to Southampton.

"I wasn't going to not play him because of the contract situation. That would never happen.

"There is absolutely no question there would have been takers for him. He's a very good Premier League player and we knew that. I'm delighted it's sorted."