Former Stoke City striker Peter Crouch has opened up on the club's relegation from the Premier League and admitted there was a 'resentment' towards Xherdan Shaqiri in the squad.

The Potters dropped to the Championship following a dismal 2017/18 campaign when the club appeared to be in a mess.

There was constant speculation about rifts between certain players, with the talented Swiss star often seen as someone who didn't pull his weight in terms of his work-rate, even if he contributed with quality moments.

And, Crouch has given his thoughts on that, with Stoke-On-Trent Live revealing how he addressed the issue in his latest book.

"There is a fine line between being mercurial and just doing what you want. People will point out, rightly, that Shaqiri scored eight goals and had seven assists during the 2017–18 season in a team relegated.

"But for 85 minutes each weekend he would be making everyone else’s job slightly harder. Resentment grew in the squad, resentment grew with management. Neither system nor player could mesh."

Despite Shaqiri leaving and wholesale changes taking place since, Stoke have continued to suffer. They are currently bottom of the Championship ahead of a weekend game against Fulham.

The verdict

This is one that's sure to divide Stoke fans. On one hand, there's no excuse for a professional footballer not to work hard, they are paid ridiculous money so to ask someone to run around and fill in certain positions shouldn't be a problem.

However, without Shaqiri the Potters would have got relegated a long time before they eventually were.

Ultimately, it's down to the manager to find the right balance and the fact this was allowed to happen over months and years reflects bad on those in charge.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.