Priestlands’ international star Vokes signs for Stoke City FC
FORMER Priestlands schoolboy and Welsh international footballer Sam Vokes has signed a three-year deal for Stoke City Football Club.
The 29-year-old AFC Bournemouth youth academy product who represented Wales 61 times will now join Championship side Stoke City from Burnley in a deal believed to be worth £10m with former-England and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch going the other way on a free transfer.
Sam played for Burnley 250 times
Former Brockenhurst College student Vokes admitted after his move that it was time to leave Turf Moor after almost seven years of success in which he twice helped the Clarets gain promotion to the Premier League.
Speaking to Stoke City, he said: “Burnley was a huge part of my life, I really found my home there and I made a lot of good friends there, but it was time for me to move on — and what better club to do that with than Stoke City.
“It has been a long day and a lot of waiting around but I am delighted — I just can’t wait to get started now.”
The player was hugely popular with the Burnley faithful and a number of supporters have expressed their disappointment in the sale.
However, when asked if the deal was too good to turn down, Burnley boss Sea Dyche admitted: “I think it was, we speak openly, there’s a business model here, we all know that, and sometimes it aligns to a situation where big decisions have to be made, and this was one.”
Stoke City will be the former Sway Junior Football Club player’s fourth professional club after stints at AFC Bournemouth, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley.
He also had loan spells at Leeds United, Bristol City, Sheffield United, Norwich City, Burnley and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Vokes’ former club Wolverhampton Wanderers will receive 25% of the profit following the £350,000 sale of Vokes to Burnley in the summer of 2012.
The two-time promotion winner had appeared to say his goodbyes applauding the travelling Clarets fans at Old Trafford after their recent 2-2 draw with Manchester United
