Stoke City midfielder Joe Allen has suggested that he is confident that the Potters can secure their Championship status this season, while also outlining his ambitions to get the club back into the Premier League.

Michael O’Neill’s side have endured a challenging period on the field since the resumption of the campaign, with the Potters having picked up just a single point against Reading and suffering damaging defeats against fellow strugglers Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic.

Allen suffered a season-ending injury during Stoke’s impressive 5-1 win against Hull City in their final match before the season was suspended, and his absence from the side has been one of the factors behind their poor form since the restart.

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However, speaking to the Y Coridor Ansicrwydd podcast, via Stoke Sentinel, Allen revealed that he believes that Stoke will have enough to get themselves out of trouble – and he also revealed his ambition to return to the top flight with the Potters in the next few seasons.

He said: "The lucky thing is for the first three and a half months was I wasn't missing any games. But now, seeing us back to business and not being able to be out there and help affect things is tough.

"I've got full confidence that the boys have got more than enough to get away from the drop and the trouble down the bottom of the table.

"I hope to have more success at club level. We've had a couple of disappointing years with Stoke. We felt we'd turned a corner before the season was postponed, but after a tough restart there's still work to do to stay up.

"I'd love to be part of the team that eventually takes Stoke back up to the Premier League."

The Verdict

Allen’s confidence in Stoke’s ability to get out of trouble is probably not shared by some of the Potters’ supporters following their form since the restart, with O’Neill’s side looking low on confidence and in need of a result in their vital clash against Barnsley.

The Wales international’s absence in midfield has been felt in the first three games back, but the Potters should have enough quality in their squad to compensate for his loss – and other players will need to step up and show some leadership to get them out of trouble.

Allen is a player with the ability to play in the Premier League and he has been linked with various moves back to the top-flight over the last few windows, but his message here seems to suggest that he is aiming to help take Stoke back into the top division along with him.