Stephane Henchoz believes Xherdan Shaqiri only joined Stoke City because of the lucrative salary.

The Swiss winger signed with the Potters from Inter Milan for a club-record £12million in the summer, causing quite a stir among many pundits and fans.

There have been a few outsiders who believe 23-year-old Shaqiri simply made the move to benefit financially, one of whom is former Liverpool defender Henchoz who spoke to talkSPORT's 'Drivetime' on Tuesday.

"Of course I am," he said when asked if he was surprised by the former Bayern Munich man's shift to the Britannia Stadium.

"Coming to the Premier League is every footballer's target because it's the best league in the world at the moment.

"But Stoke City. I don't think they are going to be playing European football in the near future. It's not the biggest club in the world as well.

"So for me it was a bit of a surprise. I would say if he chose Stoke it was probably due to the money and the wages he would receive."