Stoke City may be the bookies' favourites for relegation next season, but new record signing Dave Kitson believes he can score the goals to help the Potters avoid an immediate return to the Championship. Stoke manager Tony Pulis broke the bank to sign the former Reading striker for a fee of £5.5 million last week and the 28-year-old is relishing the prospect of a new challenge at the Britannia Stadium. Kitson, who spent two years in the top flight with the Royals, has signed a thee-year deal at Stoke and, as givemefootball discovered, the lure of a return to the Premiership following Reading's relegation was too hard to resist.
Q:WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SIGN FOR STOKE WHEN THERE WERE OTHER CLUBS INTERESTED IN YOU?
A:It was no secret that other clubs were in for me. But it would have been hugely disrespectful to Reading for me to leave there and then sit on the bench somewhere all next season. I've come to a team that have told me I will get 38 games of Premier League football.
Q:SO THE CHANCE OF REGULAR FIRST TEAM WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN YOUR DECISION?
A:I came here to Stoke and Tony (Pulis) made it clear I was his number one target and he was going to do everything he could to get me. I want to play 38 games and I believe I can do that here at Stoke.
Q:HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT YOU WILL SCORE GOALS AT CITY?
A:If I get the service I can score goals but I've never set myself targets in my life before a season. If you can get one in two (games) you are on the level and so far in my career it has been there or there abouts. Goalscoring is something I have and if you're lucky enough to have it, you revel in it. I love being a striker. There's nothing better than putting the ball in the net. Aside from the joy in the stands, it gives you an amazing buzz.
Q:WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE STOKE'S CHANCES OF STAYING UP?
A:It's going to be hard, very difficult, but as a newly-promoted team what you do have in your locker is the fact you're an unknown quantity and you have to utilise that and play to your strengths. We can't get near Manchester United in terms of spending, but how much do they know about us?
Q:WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE TO THOSE STOKE PLAYERS WHO HAVE NEVER PLAYED IN THE PREMIERSHIP BEFORE?
A:Don't be intimidated, there's nothing to be frightened of because you're just playing against 11 different people that you haven't played before. They're still just people. If you go out there and you are in awe, then you'll get turned over. We have to use being an unknown quantity to our advantage. It's there for the taking, we just have to grasp it.
Q:I SUPPOSE YOU WILL WANT STOKE TO MAKE A SIMILAR IMPACT TO THE ONE READING MADE IN THEIR FIRST SEASON IN THE TOP FLIGHT?
A:None of us at Reading had any experience when we went up and we finished eighth simply because nobody there had any money or reputation, so the only thing we could do was work hard for each other and do the best we could, which we did. It may have raised an eyebrow amongst some that I came to Stoke, who are a club like Reading when they came up, but I want to play in the Premier League.
