Potters stint was ideal for me - Burger

WOUTER Burger has no regrets about moving to Stoke City for what proved to be a challenging two years.

- Peter Smith

WOUTER Burger has no regrets about moving to Stoke City for what proved to be a challenging two years.

The 24-year-old midfielder was one of the key Stoke signings in a whirlwind summer of 2023 under Alex Neil and Ricky Martin, joining from Basel with hope he could help bring in a new dawn at the bet365 Stadium.

Instead, Stoke were sucked into consecutive battles against relegation and Burger played under four different managers as they tried to turn the tide.

But he is grateful for the individual development that he gained from his time in the Championship that helped propel him into the Bundesliga.

Now he is impressing for a Hoffenheim side that has won four games in a row to climb up to sixth - and the money from his sale has also helped Stoke rebuild and enjoy a new lease of life at the right end of their division.

Burger, pictured, said: "After two years (at Basel) I felt I was ready for the next step. But the feedback from topflight clubs was often, 'He's good, but maybe he's still missing that little something.'

"I was often on clubs' shortlists, but never at the top. That's why I decided to move to the Championship; many young players make good progress there. I wanted to make my game more intense, more physical, and stronger defensively to become a more complete player.