Xherdan Shaqiri makes Stoke City claims and reveals when he will return to the club | OneFootball

Xherdan Shaqiri has been speaking on his time with Stoke City, and even discussed plans for a return to the Potteries.

Few players have captured the hearts and imagination of Stoke City supporters in recent years as Xherdan Shaqiri did.

The Swiss international joined the Potters in the summer of 2015 for a then club-record fee of £12m, as the club were right in the midst of a hugely successful time in the Potteries.

Stoke had just recorded their second successive ninth-placed finish in the Premier League, and as such, they were able to attract the former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan winger to the Britannia Stadium, as it was then still called.

Over the next three seasons, Shaqiri would dazzle Stoke fans with some wonderful goals and outrageous pieces of technical ability, and he's now opened up on his three years with the club.

"Unbelievable support" - Xherdan Shaqiri opens up on Stoke City career

Speaking in a recent interview with FourFourTwo, Shaqiri opened up on his time at Stoke City, discussing how the move from Inter Milan came about, the support from the fans, and his plans for a return to the Potteries.

Speaking first on whether he was confident he could do it on a cold, rainy Stoke evening, Shaqiri said: "I didn’t know about it at first, but I did afterwards.

"I think I showed
I could do it, many times – 100 per cent. It was very windy there! The wind made it tough for away teams because the corners of the stadium were open.

“I remember the goalkeeper (Asmir Begovic) scoring one time with a long ball because of the wind! The fans were always behind us. It was a loud stadium with unbelievable support, so it was always difficult to play against Stoke.”

Discussing how his move to Stoke came about, Shaqiri continued: "It was important for me to have the confidence of the club and the coach, and Mark Hughes really wanted me.

"A couple of clubs were interested but Stoke gave me the best option to play my game and grow as a player. I was still young (23) and going to the Premier League was always a big dream. I loved being at Stoke. They have a big history, as one of the oldest clubs in the world."

Shaqiri reveals plans for Stoke City return

Following Stoke City's relegation from the Premier League in 2017/18 - a season in which Shaqiri would finish as the club's top scorer in the Premier League with eight goals - the Swiss international would depart for Liverpool, after his £13m release clause was triggered.

Since then, he would go on to spend three seasons at Anfield, largely operating as a squad player rather than a key member of the starting XI, before departing for Lyon in the summer of 2021.

Two-and-a-half years in the MLS would follow with Chicago Fire between February 2022-August 2024, before returning full circle to the club he started his professional career with last summer, Basel.

So, will we ever see Shaqiri back in the Potteries? Well, judging by what he told FourFourTwo, it may not be long before he's back at the bet365 Stadium, but seemingly only when he's hanged up his boots.

“When I have time to go to some games, I would like to go back there," Shaqiri would reveal.

"I learned a lot as a footballer, not only offensively but defensively, too! We had a good team and a lot of big names.”