PREM LEAGUE We must keep Shaq
PAUL MAKES PLEA
PAUL LAMBERT wants Stoke to pull out all the stops to keep Xherdan Shaqiri – because he’s their Neymar.
Swiss wizard Shaqiri, 26, is into the last 16 months of his contract and boss Lambert wants the Potters to offer him a new deal.
“I’m pretty sure the club wants to do that,” said the Scot.
“We need to keep him firing and it’s a big year for him with the World Cup. But regarding his level... goodness me.”
Neymar moved to Paris StGermain for a world record £197m from Barcelona, leaving Lambert to believe Shaqiri’s value will have soared.
“The Neymar deal put it out there but he (Shaqiri) will certainly be up there with a fair few of them,” he said of the former Bayern ® Munich and Inter Milan winger.
“Shaq is unique and can do things others can’t. You can’t be bad if you’ve played for the clubs he has.
“He’s a top player who will get better and better.”
Shaqiri and Lambert both played under legendary German coach Ottmar Hitzfeld and both have won the Champions League.
Lambert added: “He’s a big-time player who’s played in big occasions under big managers.
“Nothing fazes him. He’s been exceptional.”
The Scot reckons Shaqiri, who scored in last week’s 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, and his team-mates are up for a survival scrap.
“He’s hungry to be involved,” said Lambert.
“There are two ways to look at it – you either thrive on it as a team or you say, ‘It’s new to us’. It’s important not to have the latter.”
Stoke head into today’s clash with Brighton in the bottom three.
But just three points separate them from Chris Hughton’s side who are in 13th and Lambert wants to keep the pressure on.
He added: “Chris Hughton at Brighton and David Wagner at Huddersfield probably thought they were alright two or three weeks ago, but suddenly it changes.”