Potters go for Cameron hearing

Geoff Cameron: American midfielder needs a work permit to play in the Premier League

Stoke City have presented their case on obtaining a UK work permit for USA international Geoff Cameron to play for them in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has joined the Potters from MLS side Houston Dynamo but needs to get permission from the UK Home Office to ply his trade in England.

Both Stoke manager Tony Pulis and the club's chief executive Tony Scholes attended the hearing in Manchester, but the decision has not been disclosed yet.

"These things are never guaranteed, but we have prepared a strong case and are hopeful of a positive outcome," said Scholes before the hearing on Stoke's official website.

"We wouldn't have come this far and worked as hard on getting the transfer done if we didn't think that we had a good chance of getting a work permit.

Difficult

"Ideally, he would have had more international caps, which would have made it easier. But the fact that he is a first choice in the US National side will count in his favour.

"Ironically, two other important factors are the difficulty in getting the deal done, because the MLS didn't want to lose one of their best players, and the move by another Premier League club to come in for him and make it difficult right at the end of the negotiations.

"It should also work in our favour that Geoff has been in the MLS All Stars XI three times in the past five seasons, voted by his piers as one of the best. In those other two seasons when he wasn't selected, one was his rookie year and the other he was injured."

Stoke will start their Premier League campaign with an away game against Reading on Saturday August 18th.