Defensive Trio Sign New Deals

The Potters have been busy this week, even without a game on Saturday, as they have signed up Danny Higginbotham, Thomas Sorenson and the ever impressing Ryan Shawcross to new contracts.

Higginbotham has agreed a 12-month extension to his existing deal, taking him up the end of the 2011/12 season. The defender joined initially for £325,000 from Southampton and, after one highly successful season, was sold to Sunderland before rejoining again at the start of last season. He was played a total of 85 games scoring nine goals.

Sorenson has also agreed an extra twelve month stay, taking him upto the end of the 2010/11 season. The keeper was a free transfer from Aston Villa at the start of last season and has been a key player since his arrival playing 47 games.

Shawcross is the most important name of the trio to be signed up as the defender was subject of interest from Manchester United and Liverpool in the summer and there was paper talk that there would be more interest in January. That has however all been put to bed as he has signed a five year deal to the end of the 2013/14 season. The defender has told of his desire to skipper the Potters and has already made 89 appearances, scoring twelve goals, since originally joining on loan in August 2007 before a £1m permanent switch from Manchester United in January 2008.