Ben Pearson makes Stoke City transfer admission following switch from AFC Bournemouth | OneFootball

Stoke City's new signing Ben Pearson has admitted that he was interested in returning to the bet365 Stadium when his loan spell came to an end there at the end of last season, speaking to the Potters' media team.

With Pearson and Will Smallbone leaving on the expiration of their loan deals, they were left short of suitable starting options in the middle of the park.

And their depth was reduced even further when Sam Clucas, Tashan Oakley-Boothe and Nick Powell were all released when their contracts ended, leaving the Potters with plenty of work to do in this position.

However, with the sale of Harry Souttar and the Coates family known for backing managers, Alex Neil should have a reasonably decent amount to spend in the transfer window.

Their transfer business has only just begun though with plenty of work to do, with only Enda Stevens and Pearson arriving so far.

Many more areas still need to be addressed - but Stoke fans will be delighted to see Pearson back after seeing him make a good impact at the bet365 Stadium during the second half of last season.

It was previously unclear whether they were going to be able to bring him back with the player still under contract at AFC Bournemouth up until he joined the Championship side permanently.

But with the two sides agreeing a deal, Pearson was able to put pen to paper after sorting out personal terms and he seems delighted to be back under the guidance of Alex Neil, with the two previously spending time together at Preston North End.

The midfielder said: "From the end of last season, I have held a desire to return here, and I am glad that the opportunity has now materialised for me.

"I think the manager has a trust in me and what I can deliver on the pitch for him in terms of my consistency, work rate and execution of the gameplan.

"That trust is reciprocated, and I firmly believe he has a playing style and methods that will be successful in the Championship."

Is a move to Stoke City ideal for Ben Pearson?

This is an excellent move for Pearson because he will have the chance to start regularly under a manager who already knows him inside out.

Those two factors should help to get the best out of the midfielder and may even earn him a move back to the Premier League at some point, even if the Potters don't manage to get there.

However, Stoke should be competing at the top end of the table next season if they can complete a successful summer rebuild, so he's joining the club at an exciting time.

Ideally for him, he would be starting every week in the top flight but if he isn't going to start regularly at the top level, then it's better for him that he drops down to the second tier.

At 28, he shouldn't be on the bench.