Stoke City chairman Peter Coates was revelling in the news that his club will compete in this year's Barclays Asia Trophy.
?The Potters will join Arsenal and Everton in Singapore in the summer for the annual pre-season tournament in Asia which will also feature a Singapore Select XI.
?Coates was thrilled that the Premier League included his club in the 2015 edition of the Asian tournament and suggested that perhaps things at the Britannia Stadium were starting to really grow.
?"It's a fantastic opportunity for Stoke City Football Club, and something we've not done before," he told the Stoke Sentinel.
?"You see the Arsenals and Manchester Uniteds do this kind of thing, so maybe that's the company we keep now.
"In a competitive market this is a chance to raise the profile of the club - but most importantly it will focus on preparing the players for another tough season in the Premier League."???
