Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has hailed midfielder Charlie Adam for his hunger for knowledge.

Adam has not been a certain starter for Stoke this season but whenever the Scotsman has come off the bench, he has usually managed to make an impact, with his match-winning contribution against Southampton last week a perfect case in point.

Adam's ability to change the game has to be admired and has proven crucial to the Potters' campaign.

Now manager Hughes has moved on to reveal that the 29-year old is a real student of the game who pays close attention to the happenings on the pitch even when on the bench and added that he is not surprised by the impact the midfielder has on games.

The Welshman said: "He's a football student, so even sitting on the bench he's fully involved and understands what I want. And so more often than not he comes on and has a positive impact.

"He loves the game of football and even when he's not playing or training, he's out watching games and just loves the profession he's in. So he's able to understand tactically what needs to be done when he comes on and can affect a game in the right way. That's credit to him."