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Wilkinson wants Stoke forever

Image: Andy Wilkinson: Stoke defender overjoyed to complete a decade at the club and wants to carry on

Andy Wilkinson says that he wants to remain with Stoke City for the rest of his career after completing 10 years with the club.

Defender celebrates his 10 years at the club this weekend

Andy Wilkinson says that he wants to remain with Stoke City for the rest of his career after completing 10 years with the club this weekend. The 27-year-old right-back made his debut for Stoke in an LDV Vans Trophy tie against Blackpool on 16th October 2001 and has been on their books ever since despite being farmed out on loan on four different occasions. Wilkinson celebrated a decade at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday in style, as the Potters defeated Fulham 2-0 in the Premier League. That victory saw Tony Pulis' side maintain their unbeaten home record and rise up to seventh in the table on 12 points from eight matches, leaving Wilkinson pleased and proud.

Seems like yesterday

"It's unbelievable to think how far the club has come since I made my debut," the defender told Stoke's official website. "It's a great credit to the manager and the chairman, and I for one owe a lot to them. "My debut was a massive occasion for me and I remember it like it was yesterday even though we've come so far since then. Without that game, I wouldn't be where I am today. "There have been many other highlights, winning promotion and the two trips to Wembley being the most memorable ones. To do that for your hometown club, it can't get any better."
At Stoke forever
"I want to be here forever," continued Wilkinson. "Hopefully, I have got another 10 years left in front of me. Everyone knows how I feel about Stoke City, my blood runs through red and white. "I'm very proud of what has been achieved and I know my family feel exactly the same way. I'm absolutely buzzing to be honest with you and want to be a part of what happens next. "The win over Fulham was a great way to celebrate the landmark. It was a massive result for us because they're tricky opponents, but we battled well to get the win in the end." He added: "We've got so much to look forward to over the coming weeks and the squad is big enough and strong enough to get the results we need to make further progress."

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