Stoke City convince Joe Allen to lead promotion charge as Wales international signs improved contract

The Welsh midfielder will be one of the second tier's outstanding players next season

Allen will be key to Stoke's Championship campaign (Getty)

Stoke City have received a major boost in their bid to return to the Premier League after Joe Allen agreed a new contract with the club that improves his wages and places him front and centre of their promotion push.

The Wales international was widely expected to leave the Potters this summer and a gaggle of mid-table Premier League clubs had enquired into his availability.

But with three years remaining on his contract and a release clause only applicable to the top six, Allen decided to stay at the club after talks with chief executive Tony Scholes and, later new boss Gary Rowett.

Allen was available for £25m to Manchester United, crosstown rivals City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham thanks to a clause in his contract that was negotiated after he arrived from Liverpool for £12m in 2016.

But none of those clubs held an interest in the playmaker, so with Stoke likely to play hardball over any move and Rowett's plans having convinced Allen to stay, he put pen to paper on a new four-year contract.

"I spoke to Tony Scholes once the season had ended and he made it very clear that the Club weren’t interested in selling me and that they wanted me to stay on," he said.

“That stance from the Club, coupled with how settled I am here, how happy I am and how much I’ve enjoyed it, made it pretty straightforward for me."

Stoke have already begun preparing for life in the Championship by signing a proven second-tier marksman in Benik Afobe from Wolves and new boss Rowett, who joined from Derby, is expected to challenge for automatic promotion.