Potters' Pod: The Official Stoke City Podcast

Stoke City goalkeeper Frank Fielding joins Rob Adcock for a brilliantly unpredictable edition of Potters’ Picks. And true to form, his all-time XI is packed with personality and stories of the characters which make up a team from the stopper’s career.Opting for a classic 4‑4‑2, Fielding digs into a career spent across the Premier League and EFL to assemble a team full of leaders and cult heroes. You can expect:

A surprise choice in goal based on years of shared dressing‑rooms

A centre‑back pairing featuring a born leader and a future England international

A midfielder whose pre‑match routine is the stuff of legend

A winger whose raw talent never stopped turning heads

And a front line featuring two forwards with totally different, but equally unforgettable, stories

Frank also picks the perfect ‘proper’ football ground to host his dream match, debates the essentials of a matchday kiosk (including a passionate case for Bovril), and reveals the one type of pie he absolutely will not entertain. Full of warmth, nostalgia and typical Fielding humour, this episode offers Stoke fans a brilliant insight into the teammates, tales and moments that shaped his journey.If you enjoy the episode, don’t forget to leave a review or share it with a fellow Stokie.
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Potters’ Picks is here! A brand new companion series to Potters’ Pod, giving Stoke City players and favourites the chance to build the ultimate fantasy football match.

In the inaugural episode, Aaron Cresswell steps up to create his dream all‑time XI from almost two decades in the professional game and a career that spans more than 600 matches, more than half of which were played in the Premier League.

With plenty of difficult decisions to make in a star-studded line-up, the former England international has built a team stacked with talent and character.

He and host Rob Adcock go beyond the pitch too, deciding on:

Where in the world this one‑off match is played and why

The half‑time food and drink every fan should be allowed to enjoy

Who delivers the half‑time show

Which manager is trusted to lead this star‑studded XI

A post-match night out only Vegas could handle

It’s not just names you’ll hear from the Potters’ defender, expect stories from his time as a Hammers’ hero, Three Lions camps, and the dressing rooms that shaped his career, with plenty of nods to Stoke City connections.

In a career littered with success at the highest level, the high calibre defender also has the dilemma of whether to include himself in his XI.

If you enjoy the first ever Potters’ Picks, don’t forget to leave a review and share it with a fellow Stoke fan.
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Ashley Phillips’ footballing life has, at every turn, been characterised by the need to learn life lessons, and do it fast.  

In this episode of Potters’ Pod, the defender reflects on growing up in Salford, the sacrifices his mum made to help him chase a football dream, and the moment he realised he needed to push himself if he wanted to make it as a professional.

He talks through his breakthrough at Blackburn, saying ‘no’ to Spurs before ultimately joining the Premier League giants a year later and how he adjusted, at the age of 18, to life in London. 

Ashley discusses learning from elite players at the Lilywhites and why regular first team football continues to be key to his development.

He explains the circumstances surrounding each of his two loan moves to Stoke, including the exclusive feat in the modern-day game of keeping his signing a secret until the moment it was announced.

Phillips speaks of why the dressing room environment makes the Potters feel like home and why he is infinitely grateful to club legend Ryan Shawcross.

Away from the pitch, there’s plenty of talk about gaming, an NFL obsession, darts, digs, and the friendships he has formed through football. 
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From the carefree adventures of a diehard fan to the “enormous responsibility” and “absolute labour of love” of being the Club’s owner and Chair, John Coates has lived a life as a Potter like no other.

While other interviews during the course of the year provide updates on the present-day direction of the Club, this episode of Potters’ Pod is something completely different, providing a comprehensive insight into the person and fan.

In a world where English football club owners hail from all corners of the globe, John was born and bred locally and fulfilled his earlier years as a Potter with travels to Football League stadiums the length and breadth of the land.

From the windscreen blowing in on a rickety old coach to Peterborough, to open terrace triumphs and travails and a spontaneous Ford Escort foray to Italia 90, Coates tracks his time as the most avid of Stoke City supporters.

The Club Chair, whose ownership of the Potters is characterised by multi-million-pound investments each year, recalls navigating dodgy Center Parcs phone reception whilst brokering the deal to take over the club back in 2006.

From that point on, fans can live the story of the ensuing years candidly and uniquely through the eyes of an owner, whose passion for Stoke City remains undimmed.
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Bosun Lawal has spoken of his gratitude to the Potters for their patience during his injury hit inaugural campaign, admitting that many clubs wouldn’t have signed him and that what followed was the hardest period of his career to date.

The 22-year-old has rewarded Jon Walters for his long-term thinking in completing the Irishman’s transfer from Celtic during the summer of 2024 despite a stress fracture of the back, with a sequence of stellar performances in a strong City start to the current campaign.

During his stint in ST4 to date, Lawal has featured as a full-back, a wing-back, a central midfielder, a striker and most prominently at the heart of the defence, and in this episode of Potters’ Pod, Lawal discusses what he believes is his best role.

He also talks about the importance of his faith, what he likes to do in his down time, and what life was like at Celtic working under the likes of Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating or a review, and be sure to subscribe or follow the podcast to be notified of all future episodes.
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