Ryan Shawcross is expected to join Phil Neville at Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami after agreeing to mutually terminate his contract at Stoke City.
He joins 2014 World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi and former Real Madrid and Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain in Florida.
Shawcross was one of a dying breed of players and his unwavering loyalty didn’t go unnoticed by Stoke manager Michael O’Neill.
“Before I came to Stoke the one player you immediately associated with the club when it came up in conversation was Ryan, simply because of the length of time he spent here,” O’Neill said.
“It’s very rare these days for a player to stay at one club for 14 years. I’m sure Ryan has had opportunities to go elsewhere down the years but he clearly felt settled and valued here.”
The 33-year-old made 453 appearances for the Potters after joining from Manchester United in 2007. He played an instrumental role in leading Stoke to promotion by scoring an incredible eight goals in 44 appearances.
Initially joining on a six-month loan, Stoke made the move permanent in January 2008 and Shawcross became a mainstay in the side during a 10-year spell in the Premier League.
Stoke reached the FA Cup final in 2011 and qualified for the UEFA Europa League despite losing 1-0 against Manchester City at Wembley. After defeating Hajduk Split and Thun respectively in the qualifying rounds, Stoke finished runners-up in Group E.
Embed from Getty ImagesThey were pitted against Spanish heavyweights Valencia and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat on aggregate but Shawcross’ performances earned him his solitary cap for England.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat-trick during his 16 minutes on the pitch, including an incredible 30-yard overhead kick, and Shawcross was never called up again.
Shawcross was voted Stoke’s player of the season in 2013/14 and helped guide them to three successive 9th-place finishes. Stoke suffered relegation in 2018 and chronic injury problems has reduced him to just 44 games in the last three seasons.
