Wilkinson eases up

Wilkinson: Tentative against Newcastle

Andy Wilkinson admits the fall-out from his tackle on Moussa Dembele has seen him rein his aggression in.

The Stoke full-back, renowned for his no-nonsense style, came in for criticism after he left Fulham frontman Dembele with damaged ankle ligaments.

A full-blooded challenge during a Carling Cup encounter injured the Cottagers forward, who is now facing a spell on the sidelines.

Wilkinson believes the issue has been 'blown out of proportion', but has revealed that he adopted a more measured approach during Sunday's 2-1 win over Newcastle.

"It was a bit disappointing, that tackle, because it took away from our play on Tuesday," he said in The Sentinel.

"The gaffer gave me the nod for Newcastle and said 'don't change', but I was a bit more tentative."

Commitment

Wilkinson acknowledges that it would be difficult for him to remove that competitive streak from his game, and he plans to put the recent furore behind him and turn his attention back to the business of helping Stoke to pick up points.

He added: "The tackle was blown out of proportion. There's a million worse tackles than that, but it all goes over my head.

"I love playing for this club and when I do play, you know what I'm going to give.

"I just hope I can keep playing and we can keep getting results."