Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says they want to keep hold of defender Ryan Shawcross.

The Potters are determined to hang on to the 22-year-old and Coates has praised the centre-half's progress, while also calling on Shawcross to remain level-headed.

"He's a big asset to us and is a very promising young player," Coates told The Sentinel. "But he needs to keep his feet on the ground and not get carried away.

"He's got a lot of hard work to do and I think our coaching staff deserve credit for the way they have developed him. But he also deserves praise because he is dedicated to what he does.

"We always try to look after contracts. Players are valuable assets, so it is important to make sure you look after the contracts. Ryan is a good example of that."