Ben Gibson has disclosed that when he decided Stoke City was the appropriate club to join, he had frank discussions about it with his pal Jon Walters.
center-back Gibson, who is leaving Norwich City after four years after helping the team finish in the Championship play-off spots, had no shortage of offers this summer. He was well-informed about Stoke’s external aspects, such as its facilities, history, and owners, but before committing to join, he wanted to find out what was actually going on within. The 31-year-old and Walters, who is currently Stoke’s sporting director, were teammates at Burnley, and their open communication style sealed the deal.
It was really great, he said. Since I’ve already talked about the size of the team, the amazing owners, the facilities, and the stadium, what matters most to me is where we’re going. The training facility is excellent, and cultivating a positive culture is crucial, but to be honest, that’s just corny talk.
“Where we are going and what we are aiming to accomplish are what really count.” Even if I adore Jon and would want to play for a team the magnitude of Stoke, I wouldn’t sign here right now if the goal is to repeat the previous season or, at most, finish in the middle of the Championship. I would have pursued it throughout the summer, leaving my options open. However,
“I had a Zoom call well before I signed,” he said. “He really excited me. He knew a lot about me! I’ve obviously played against his teams at Plymouth and Stoke last season and both teams were different games. But certainly when we played against Plymouth, they were a fantastic footballing team. He did a magnificent job there and certainly ended the season at Stoke with the lads playing some unbelievable football. That’s really key because we want to take that momentum forward.
“It was big for me that he had clarity in the way that he wants to play and he knew what I could add because it’s all good having conversations with Jon but if those visions aren’t aligned with the manager, if I’m not someone who the manager sees fitting into his style of play, it’s not going to work.
“He really, really impressed me, I’m really, really looking forward to working for him. Everyone you speak to in football, whether they’ve played with him or played for him, can’t speak highly enough of him and I’m really looking forward to getting to know him and working for him.”
