Stoke are virtually synonymous with lengthy throws and chilly nights so heads have been turned when a Barcelona prodigy turned up.
The Potters have been trying to set up themselves as a high ten Premier League aspect when then-manager Mark Hughes made an audacious transfer for Bojan Krkic in the summertime of 2014.
To his shock, and the remainder of the world, the Spaniard agreed and so went forward one of many strangest transfers in latest Premier League historical past.
However the now retired ahead knew right away that the Britannia Stadium felt identical to residence.
Speaking to Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent on talkSPORT Drive, Bojan mentioned: “In that summer season, Stoke known as me and the people who I requested about it mentioned, ‘no you might be loopy, why are you going there? They do not play soccer!’
“And I mentioned, ‘yeah but when they name me it’s as a result of they perceive my qualities technically so I wish to go and play within the Premier League, so let’s go’.
“For positive, it is among the finest decisions that I made in my profession. We had implausible years enjoying implausible soccer within the Premier League.
“Stoke as a membership, it’s a small membership however it’s a household membership and the followers, for me, are the best that I’ve had in all of the golf equipment I’ve performed with.
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“Other than Mark Hughes, Marc Muniesa was there and you recognize if you get a sense and I felt that at Stoke. It felt it was the suitable place to be and play.”
Bojan had performed for illustrious golf equipment earlier than making the transfer to Staffordshire, beginning out at Barcelona and bursting onto the scene on the identical time Lionel Messi was making waves.
Stints at Roma, AC Milan and Ajax would comply with earlier than a everlasting transfer to Stoke, swapping dressing rooms with gamers equivalent to Messi, Thierry Henry and Xavi for Charlie Adam, Phil Bardsley and Peter Crouch, whose DJing abilities have been questioned by the Spaniard.
Bojan added: “We completed ninth within the Premier League three years in a row, we had many good gamers; Marko Arnautovic, Xherdan Shaqiri, Stephen Nzonzi, Glenn Whelan.
“Then there’s Ryan Shawcross, an amazing chief, implausible skilled, we had many good issues in that dressing room that we modified the mentality of the membership, so, yeah… Stokealona!
“[I still speak to] Ryan, Jon Walters as nicely, Muniesa after all. Peter Crouch was the DJ in that point and was not the perfect!
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“Crouchy, implausible participant, implausible humour, I like Crouchy, truthfully. However the music was not the perfect.
“I can’t describe, in Spain we’re used to reggaeton, one thing that makes you’re feeling completely happy. The music of Crouchy was extra… I do not know, chilled.
“In all probability good music however not earlier than a sport!”
Having spent 5 years on Stoke’s books, with two of these years away on mortgage, Bojan left the membership in 2019 to maneuver to MLS aspect Montreal Influence.
A brief spell in Japan with Andres Iniesta at Vissel Kobe would comply with earlier than hanging up his boots in March earlier this 12 months.
