Stoke City striker Jonathan Walters has hailed the work of Mark Hughes this season.

Walters believes Hughes is due a lot of credit for embedding Stoke into the top half without breaking the bank.

"We've not spent much over the last couple of years and he didn't spend anything in January," he told TalkSport.

"He's made some very shrewd signings and the team he's got together and the back room staff team, with Eddie Niedzwiecki, Mark Bowen and all the fitness guys, is very good.

"It's great credit to what they see and the players they identify in the European leagues like Bojan, who was written off by a few people, and Marko Arnautovic, who had a bit of a bad reputation, and then being able to get the best out of these players.

"I think pound for pound he's got to be up there with a shout of manager of the year, particularly if we carry on the way we are going."