West Brom full-back Nicky Shorey eager to measure up for new boss Roy Hodgson

Feb 27 2011 by Gregg Evans, Sunday Mercury

PINT-SIZED Nicky Shorey is hoping he has done enough to keep his place when Albion visit the land of the giants tomorrow.

Despite only measuring up at 5ft 7in, the Baggies left-back is feeling ten-feet tall since the arrival of Roy Hogdson and is focusing on earning his fourth consecutive start when Albion take on Stoke.

The 30-year-old had fallen out of favour under previous boss Roberto Di Matteo, but has won his place back since the Italian’s departure.

Seeing Hodgson, who he played under at Fulham last year, arrive at the Hawthorns, has made his first-team return even sweeter – but he knows if he is selected tomorrow he will have his work cut out dealing with Stoke’s man mountains.

The prospect of coming face-to-face with the likes of Kenwyne Jones, Robert Huth, and former team mate John Carew is something that excites the former England international though.

“It’s always a strange game against Stoke and it will be very tough,” he said. “In games like this size does come into it and, I suppose, the gaffer will have to put a team together that he feels will be strong enough to win.

“For me though I feel whatever size you are, if you play your own game and make sure you’re tight defensively you can handle it.

“We know they’ve got big lads like John Carew, who is a top quality player and has shown in the few games he has had at Stoke that he can score goals.

“He’s a really nice bloke but sometimes he can be a little bit infuriating because you know what he’s got in his locker.

“On his day you just can’t live with him and he’s tough to control but hopefully on Monday we’ll be able to handle him.

“Stoke are a team that have come up from the Championship and consolidated in the Premier League and that’s nice to see.

“We want to emulate them by staying in the division, but I think we play two different styles of the game.

“Who’s to say who’s right? It works for them and fair play to them. We obviously think that we can do it another way. We’ve got to be more resolute and the gaffer is working on us in training, and the lads are trying to implement what he wants out on the pitch.”