Stoke City defender Phil Bardsley has insisted that he wants to stay at the Britannia Stadium and fight for his place in the team after speaking to boss Mark Hughes regarding his Stoke future.
Limited gametime is 'difficult'
Bardsley moved to the Potters on a free transfer in June 2014, after his Sunderland contract expired, and played 25 games for Stoke last season.
However, since Glen Johnson arrived in the summer, the 30-year-old has featured only once in the Premier League this season, sparking speculation over his Stoke future.
Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel, he said that it is a "difficult" situation for him at the moment because of Stoke's current form, which has seen them win five of their last seven games, and the fact that the Potters have a "big squad" following 11 new additions in the summer.
He added that his main focus is to ensure he shows the "right attitude" and trains "properly" and hope that his chance comes.
A possible loan move?
Although he said he would like to see out his three-year contract, which expires in 2017, he did not rule anything out saying "you never know in football".
When asked whether he would be favourable towards a loan move he said that he had "not really thought about it" and added that it was not a topic of conversation when he met Hughes to discuss his future.
However, he said that he did not want to "sit there" and "pick [his] wages up either" and he is prepared to be patient and do anything he can to improve.
Bardsley is hoping to play in next Tuesday's Capital One Cup quarter-final against Sheffield Wednesday.
He said that he feels that his form in the cup games has been "very good" and he hopes that it will be enough to be selected.
He reached the final of the League Cup in 2014 with Sunderland and he said that he would "love" to emulate that experience with Stoke.