Potters unite behind Shawcross

STOKE have united in their support of Ryan Shawcross after the horror tackle which broke the leg of Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey.

As Arsenal confirmed that the Welsh teenager had suffered fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg and would miss the rest of the season at least, Stoke boss Tony Pulis, while condemning the tackle, defended Shawcross’ character.

And the 22-year-old, who in a surprising twist was later named in the England squad for the first time, has also received the backing of his team-mates.

Midfielder Danny Pugh said: “I think it was a 50-50 tackle. Ryan has not gone in to hurt him. He is not a malicious kind of lad and does not go out to hurt anyone. I think Ryan has genuinely gone for the ball. It is just unfortunate that the lad has been hurt so badly.”

Ramsey was transferred to a hospital in London on Saturday night, with an Arsenal statement confirming: “The operation successfully reduced the fractures and whilst it is too soon to state an exact timescale for recovery, Aaron will certainly miss the remainder of this season.”

Wenger’s pointed post-match remarks threatened to spark a row with Stoke and prompted the Potteries club to issue a statement late on Saturday night re-emphasising Pulis’ earlier comments.

“Ryan Shawcross has no bad blood in him whatsoever,” said Pulis. “There is no way in a million years he would ever go out and try and hurt someone.”

Meanwhile Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor knows his return to the Emirates next month will be “hell” but claims he never wanted to leave Arsenal.

“It will be 90 minutes of hell,” he said. “The fans will boo me, insult me, because, until now, they haven’t understood why I left. I’m the bad guy.”

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has always maintained the forward was offloaded after he asked to leave but Adebayor countered: “Arsene Wenger can never say that I wanted to leave.

“It was because Arsene didn’t want me anymore. If Arsene has a big heart we can go on a TV show to have a debate and he will never say I told him I wanted to leave the club.

“He’ll never say that. He knows it full well. I respect him enormously, and he knows that, but the most annoying thing about the whole story is when people say I wanted to leave for the money.

“If I had really wanted to, I would have left two years ago for the money and gone to Milan or Barcelona.”