Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has again warned Sunderland off defender Danny Higginbotham.

The Britannia Stadium boss said: "My position is clear and simple. I'm trying to build a team, not dismantle one, and that means keeping your best players and certainly your very best.

"Danny has had a wonderful first season at Stoke, so we shouldn't be surprised that others have taken notice. But we want to push on as a football club and that task is a hell of a lot easier with the likes of Danny Higginbotham around.

"I've heard nothing since (Sunderland's initial approach) and I don't want to either."