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Xherdan Shaqiri spent three years debunking the saying that flair players could not perform in Stoke's exacting conditions

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Has there been a more emotive footballing question than ‘can he do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke? ’, which became a part of the game’s lexicon in the early 2010s? Even 15 years on, just hearing the words gives you a chill, as your mind is instantly transported back to the ground formerly known as the Britannia, where the wind whipped around and Tony Pulis’ team of man mountains where just a Rory Delap throw-in away from upsetting the Premier League’s percieved natural order. The implication of the phrase was that even the game’s best flair players, such as Lionel Messi, would not be able to cope with these very English conditions, but how true was the saying? In 2015, Stoke City signed Xherdan Shaqiri from Inter Milan, with the Swiss winger adding a world away from the stereotypical Potters bruiser that inspired the saying. So what did the skilful winger make of the phrase - and whether or not he could indeed produce on such a night? “I didn’t know about it at first, but I did afterwards, " Shaqiri exclusively tells Four Four Two. "I think I showed
I could do it, many times – 100 per cent. It was very windy there! The wind made it tough for away teams because the corners of the stadium were open. “I remember the goalkeeper [Asmir Begovic] scoring one time with a long ball because of the wind! The fans were always behind us. It was a loud stadium with unbelievable support, so it was always difficult to play against Stoke. ” Shaqiri’s move to the Potteries came after spells with FC Basel and Bayern Munich, during which the Swiss had established a reputation as one of the most promising young players in Europe, with Four Four Two ranking him as the fifth-best player outside the top six in 2018. So how did it come about? The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. "It was important for me to have the confidence of the club and the coach, and Mark Hughes really wanted me, ” he adds. “A couple of clubs were interested but Stoke gave me the best option to play my game and grow as a player. “I was still young [23] and going to the Premier League was always a big dream. I loved being at Stoke. They have a big history, as one of the oldest clubs in the world. ” Now back at his former side Basel, after stints at Liverpool, Lyon and Chicago Fire, the 33-year-old admits he would like to return to Stoke on a watching brief. “When I have time to go to some games, I would like to go back there. I learned a lot as a footballer, not only offensively but defensively, too! We had a good team and a lot of big names. ” For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and Leeds Live among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.

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