Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has defended his transfer record.

Pulis claims there is still mileage in signing stars like Jonathan Woodgate, Kenwyne Jones, Peter Crouch and Michael Owen to add experience to his squad.

Ahead of today's trip to Southampton, he said: "Nowadays if people are paying they would rather spend it on younger players where they can get a return on their investment.

"Signing senior players is sometimes frowned on. But if you sign the right senior players it actually helps the group.

"Crouchy has been very good, especially with the youngsters.

"Having someone like Peter around is fantastic. The way he works is first class."