Sead Haksabanovic makes claim about Celtic most fans wouldn't buy as Alex Neil puts Stoke in lofty bracket

Alex Neil says new signing Sead Haksabanovic's Celtic experience will help him cope with the demand of needing to win at Stoke City.

The Potters have not been back to the Premier League since their relegation in 2018 ended a 10-year stint, but under their Scottish boss, the club's winger signing hopes to get them back there. Haksabanovic left the Premiership champions under a cloud after a cryptic social media post claimed “If they don’t see your value maybe you’re not at the right place.”

He's now moved to the English Championship on a season-long loan deal and Neil tells the club's YouTube channel that the Montenegro international's big-game experience in Scotland will aid him massively, as the Potters victory requirements are just as high. The former Hamilton boss said: "When you are playing at a club like Stoke or certainly Celtic, there is a demand on you to try and win games.

"But more importantly there is a demand on how you do it as well. We want to get him in the final third areas and can utilise his qualities. He knows what top level football looks like."

Haksabanovic meanwhile insists that he thrived in the Glasgow pressure cooker and he should be able to handle Stoke. He added: "I came from a club with one of the biggest fanbases in the world. If you can do it there, you can do it here as well. When I was younger, I was a little bit shy and stuff like that when coming to a new club, but now I am more open and getting into the team more than what I was before. I just want to be here and play and hopefully take it back where it belongs."