Stoke City: Dickinson wants out on loan

CARL Dickinson is pleading with Stoke manager Tony Pulis to let him out on loan – so he can strengthen his long-term prospects at the Britannia Stadium.

Dickinson, together with a clutch of colleagues, is awaiting offers to move out on loan to a lower-division club as the transfer window partially re-opens this week.

He acknowledges he could now be third in the pecking order at left-back for Stoke following the arrival of Sunderland defender Danny Collins.

But Dickinson insists he still wants a long-term future at Stoke - wherever he ends up this season.

"If I'm not playing here, then I need to be playing somewhere, especially after a frustrating season," said Dickinson.

"I have to play more games to progress as a footballer and hopefully the more I progress, the better chance I have of eventually getting into the Stoke team.

"You can see the size of the squad we've got here, so hopefully the gaffer will let me go out and get a number of games under my belt."

The 22-year-old defender would prefer a temporary switch to the Championship, but wouldn't rule out a return to League One pacesetters Leeds after seven games on loan there last season.

He said: "If I can, I would love to play in the Championship, but of course I would be interested in Leeds again.

"But the main long-term aim remains Stoke City for me. This is the club where I really want to make it."

Fellow youngster Ryan Shotton is among those Pulis might also loan out for experience, while the likes of Andrew Davies, Leon Cort, Michael Tonge and Tom Soares could be tempted by loan moves.