Josh Laurent has revealed that he was convinced about joining Stoke City following a meeting with boss Michael O'Neill.

The midfielder has spent the past two years with Reading in the Championship and whilst it's been a tough period for the Royals, Laurent is someone who has impressed.

Therefore, with his contract expiring this summer, they knew they faced a battle to keep hold of the 27-year-old. And, those fears have proven to be correct, as the Potters have swooped in to sign Laurent, who will sign a three-year deal with the Staffordshire side.

Moving to Stoke would've been a big decision for the player, and he told the club's media how O'Neill was a driving force behind the move.

"There has been interest from Stoke for a while and as soon as soon as it became clear I was going to become a free agent they called me and let me know just how interested they were. They showed me how much they wanted me.

"The manager went down to London to talk to me and that meant a lot. He told me how much he wanted me and assured me that I would play. It was all down to him really because he made me feel wanted and spelt out how he felt he could progress my career."

The verdict

Clearly, O'Neill deserves huge credit for this deal as the work he put in to go down to London and to tell Laurent about his plans and where he will fit in has obviously worked.

From Stoke's perspective, they have got in a very good Championship midfielder on a free transfer so it's a smart bit of business.

Now, it's down to Laurent to repay the faith O'Neill has shown in him by performing well for the Potters when the new season starts.

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