Whelan backs Stoke City to finish in Premier League top six

Rob Conlon
Glenn Whelan: New one-year deal

Glenn Whelan: New one-year deal

Glenn Whelan believes Stoke City are good enough to finish in the top six of the Premier League this season.

Following the 1-0 win at Southampton on Saturday, Stoke are 11th in the league, but only two points behind sixth place West Ham.

The highest they have ever finished is ninth, which they have achieved in the past two campaigns, but midfielder Whelan is confident they can better that this term.

“The belief in and around the squad is that we’re good enough,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get there. We need the results – to go to Southampton and win shows just how far we’ve come.”

Despite making their worst ever start to a Premier League season, the Potters have now won five of their last seven matches, and the victory at St Mary’s was their third 1-0 win away from home in their last four trips.

“Stoke have always been tough to beat and we want to keep that,” Whelan told BBC Radio Stoke.

“It’s down to confidence and the way we’ve been playing under the manager – he has a certain style – and everywhere we go, we’ll give anyone a good game.”

Mark Hughes was given the funds to invest in the squad over the summer, bringing in the likes of Champions League winning duo Xherdan Shaqiri and Ibrahim Afellay.

The squad took some time to gel but Whelan insists the new signings have kept the rest of the squad striving to improve.

“The manager’s brought in some top players and you have to keep your standards up if you want to stay in the team,” the Republic of Ireland international said.

“They’re pushing us on to keep doing as well because if we don’t play well, things can easily change. It’s a healthy squad and things are going well so everyone’s happy.”