Stoke City's fit-again striker Mamady Sidibe has welcomed comparisons with Aston Villa's Emile Heskey.

"Maybe we are similar," he said of Heskey, "because we don't score many goals. We do more in the game, but of course everybody likes you to score goals. But I like being compared to him because Heskey is an international player playing for a big club."

Sidibe's collector's items in front of goal include a certain 94th-minute winner when the clubs met in a thrilling 3-2 Stoke win at the start of the season.

"It is my favourite goal for Stoke," said the Mali international, "because it was our first win and so important to us. It was also my first goal in the Premier League as well, so it was a good thing for me.

"But I don't think it was my best goal for Stoke. I think that was the winning goal against West Bromwich Albion this season."