The current Stoke City squad is built up of a strong contingent of ex-Sunderland players, all of which have played some part in Stoke's success in the Premier League.
Most recently goalkeeper Thomas Sorenson demonstrated what a fantastic shot-stopper he is. Although Stoke were beaten 2-0 away at Arsenal over the weekend, Sorenson pulled off a number of brilliant saves, including the penalty he saved from Gunners captain Cesc Fabregas with the game still goal less. The Danish number one joined the Potters on a free transfer from Aston Villa in July 2008 and that season he kept 12 clean sheets to help keep the team in the Premier League. Sorenson made his name at Sunderland after making 197 appearances for the Mackems, but is fondly remembered for the penalty save against Alan Shearer in the Tyne-Wear derby. He is now firmly established as Stoke's first choice keeper and has played in 14 games so far this season.
The most recent signing from the North East club is defender Danny Collins, who switched red and white jerseys on deadline day in September this campaign for a reported £2.75 million. Collins can either play at left back or centre half and is slowly starting to establish himself in the Stoke back four, having made a few costly errors in his first few games. Most notably the penalty he conceded against Bolton, which resulted in the game finishing a draw. However the Britannia faithful should expect better things from him in the future, as he is tough tackling defender who has been voted Sunderland fans player of the year for the past two seasons running.
The man Collins has replaced as left-back was another ex-Black Cat, Danny Higginbotham. He first joined the Potters in 2006 from Southampton, but was sold on 12 months later to Sunderland as they gained promotion under former manager Roy Keane. After a tough season in the top tier where Higginbotham played a huge part in keeping the team up, Tony Pulis wanted him back as City had gained automatic promotion. This was an intelligent transfer as Higginbotham played 30 games that season and scored one goal to help fight off another relegation.
Another player who enjoyed life so much in the West Midlands and had to return was utility man Rory Delap. His circumstances were slightly different though, Delap was loaned to Stoke in October 2006 and on his first appearance he broke his leg against his parent club, so he returned to Sunderland. Yet Pulis saw something he liked in Delap and offered him a permanent contract in January 2008. The former Carlisle, Southampton and Derby man has had a reputation wherever he has went, even more so at Stoke as his long-throwing ability has played a significant part in the clubs recent success. He played in every single game of the promotion campaign and featured in 36 match's last year, where his throw ins have been a constant weapon, causing trouble in the opposition box. They have lead to a number of important goals, in particular a famous 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Britannia stadium.
Liam Lawrence also had a vital role in the promotion season, he was voted the fans favourite player as he netted 15 times in 42 appearance's from the right side of midfield. Although born in England, Lawrence has Irish relatives and has recently been called up to play in the Republic of Ireland's World Cup qualifiers as a reward for some of his incredible displays. The ex-Mansfield star signed for Stoke from Sunderland in 2006, following a number of fall-outs with manager Roy Keane over a number of issues. The winger hasn't quite hit any form so far this season, but is still a valuable part of Tony Pulis' squad with his creativity and crossing skill.
Former Sunderland skipper Dean Whitehead makes up the squad. Whitehead arrived in the summer for a fee of £3 million, rising to £5million depending upon appearance's and his hard working approach has helped him fit right in with the rest of the team. One vital ingredient about Whitehead is his experience, he has competed in over 200 Premier League games and scored 13 goals with the Wearside club, something which impressed Pulis as he parted with a large sum of his summer transfer kitty. His experience may show in that the ex-Oxford United midfielder has all ready received five yellow cards this term, a sign that he tackles hard and wants to protect his back line.
A main strength of Stoke City is their togetherness and hard working, tough attitude. Something that manager Tony Pulis always considers when signing a player is his character, all of these ex-Sunderland players have a strong focus and desire to do well, most have come from lower league clubs and appreciate the chance to play at Premier League level. Having spent time with each other and knowing each other's games inside out, they have all improved together and continue to play a huge part in Stoke City's success as a squad.