Stoke City skipper Ryan Shawcross has praised ex-teammate Abdoulaye Faye for his displays in his first season at the Britannia Stadium.

Faye featured in 81 league games for the Potters between 2008 and 2011 and his performances during the Staffordshire club's first season back in the Premier League will never be forgotten by Shawcross.

"For six to eight months in Abdoulaye's first season he was up there with Nemanja Vidic as the best centre-back in the Premier League, he was unreal," said Shawcross in a Q and A with supporters at the Britannia.

"Some of the displays he put in that year were sensational. He was almost single-handedly keeping us up.

"Then he went away that summer … and found food! He came back about 10kg heavier. He was never quite the same.

"We quickly got Robert Huth in and he was great but I will never forget how good Abdy was in that first season we were in the top flight."