Stoke City would love summer repeat of Newcastle United masterstroke that cost only £2.25m | OneFootball

Abdoulaye Faye was a rock at the back for the Potters - they desperately need a player like him nowadays

If there was ever a player that summed up Stoke City's aggressive, never-say-die attitude under Tony Pulis, it was Senegalese international centre-back Abdoulaye Faye, who spent three years with the Potters from 2008 to 2011.

Faye joined City from Newcastle United in August 2008, and quickly emerged as a key figure in their battle to stay in the top-flight of English football after 23 years away, while also being named captain after just one year at the club.

He became a real fan-favourite and cult hero in ST4 for his no-nonsense performances under hard-line boss Pulis, and the Potters would no doubt love to sign a player like him nowadays as they look to become a tougher team to beat in their aims to progress up the Championship.

Abdoulaye Faye was a crucial player in his first two seasons at Stoke

Faye was a mainstay at the heart of Newcastle's defence in the months leading up to his exit to join Stoke, and so it took them a relatively sizeable fee, at least for them at the time, of £2.25 million to prise him from the Tyneside club in the hope of him being able to aid their seemingly slim survival chances.

He walked straight into Pulis' starting eleven upon his arrival, and was absolutely vital to the Potters as they held their own against the country's best sides and upset the status quo with a combative, unconventional style of play that relied heavily on long passes, long throws and total aerial dominance.

The Senegalese international scored his first goal for the club in December 2008 against his old side Newcastle, with an added-time strike to earn Stoke a point at St James' Park, which saw him run off in glee as he shushed the home supporters that had booed him for leaving.

He ended his debut campaign at the Britannia Stadium with three goals in 36 Premier League appearances as Stoke stayed up with ease in 12th place despite being written off by many as bankers to go down before a ball had even been kicked in August.

Faye's impressive first season did not go unnoticed as he picked up both the Players' and Fans' Player of the Season Award, and he was handed the club captaincy by Pulis in the summer of 2009, which highlighted the huge impact he had made on his teammates.

The then-31-year-old continued to be a rock at the back in his second campaign in ST4, with two goals in 31 appearances as the Potters went one better to finish 11th in the top-flight. He was even honoured with a mural on the front of the Britannia Stadium, alongside Sir Stanley Matthews.

He had begun to pick up more injuries towards the end of the season, though, and so was relieved of his captaincy duties ahead of the 2010/11 campaign as Ryan Shawcross took over. Faye featured just 16 times that term, amid injury issues, and so was released at the end of his contract in May 2011, just weeks after the club were beaten in the FA Cup final by Manchester City.

Stoke need to sign a player like Faye this summer - he 'loved' playing for the club

Stoke's downfall over the last seven years has been indicative of a club that has lost its way both on and off the pitch, with poor recruitment and managerial decisions that have led to a disillusioned fan-base and numerous players signed who are simply there to pick up another paycheck.

Upon his 2011 release, Tony Pulis insisted that burly defender Faye had "loved" playing for Stoke in his three years at the club. There is a distinct lack of players like him at bet365 Stadium nowadays, so not only do the Potters need someone of his ability to be signed this summer, they also need someone of his nature, which drew supporters towards him and made him a cult hero.

City manager Mark Robins has a huge task on his hands this summer to mould a squad that is balanced, strong and capable of producing big moments to help push Stoke back up to the top of the second-tier standings.

He has just two senior centre-backs under-contract as it stands, in Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson, so he clearly needs to reinforce his defensive ranks soon with multiple new arrivals. A player like Faye, who would protect his side's lead like his life depended on it, would be a good start.

Former boss Pulis, who recently praised Robins as a "top man," knew exactly how to get the best out of the squad that he had at his disposal, even if they could not spend as much money on new players as other sides in their league. That is now Robins' task with Stoke, and he needs to find his Faye-like centre-back to depend on when the going inevitably gets tough next season.