Danny Higginbotham
#3
Centre back, left back
d.o.b: 29/12/78
Signed: September 2008
Games this season: 4/1
Goals this season: 0
Total club games: 126/3
Total club goals: 14
Signed just before the start of the 2006/7 season for a bargain £350,000 and fitted straight into left back.
Moved across to his favourite and more natural position of centre back and never flinched from then on.
Lost his partner Duberry in January and inherited the captaincy after showing natural leadership skills during the initial stages of his Potters career.
Swept the board at the end of season awards and was subject to enquiries from Sunderland before the Potters dismissed them stating no amount of money would make them sell.
They weren't to be put off though and came in with a £2m bid which was rejected before upping it to £2.4m + ex-Potter Graham Kavanagh which was also rejected. A third bid was instant and was accepted and he then had successful talks with the Premiership team. There persistence was helped by Higginbotham's rejection of a new deal and then stating his willingness to leave and play for someone who'll pay him more money. He refused to play at Southampton in August 2007 stating that his ankle was injured and he couldn't play before handing in a transfer request two days later.
Brought back to the club for £2m on deadline day at the start of the 2008/9 campaign and played a vital part in keeping the Potters up in that initial top flight season.
Was the clubs chief penalty taker during his first spell, scoring all 4 he took, to go with the three headers to netted aswell. Netted a vital spot kick against Spurs soon after his return but is now well down in the penalty taking stakes.
2009/10 saw Higginbotham fight back, after initially being dropped for Danny Collins, and claimed the left back position for the second of the season, even playing centre back when the Potters were short in the middle.
Having been a member of a largely solid back 4, 'Higgy' has played near enough all his games in recent times at left back, appearing to be a better Premier League left back than when he was playing there in the Championship.
In 2010/11 he was in and out of the side but played a crucial role in the Potters fine run of form that got their season back on track, and he scored bullet free kicks in successive weeks against Newcastle in the league and West Ham, to win a FA Cup quarter final, before a devastating injury ended his season early.
Looking at an October comeback from injury but will have to get himself back to full fitness to push past a consistent Marc Wilson at left back.