Stoke boss Hughes hails 2-goal Joe Allen

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes was delighted with two-goal Joe Allen after victory over Sunderland.

He broke the deadlock with an eighth-minute header before lashing in a second on the stroke of half-time as the Potters cruised to a 2-0 victory, their first in the Premier League this season, over the winless Black Cats.

Allen took his tally to five in four games for club and country and has already equalled his best-ever Premier League haul for a season when he managed four with Swansea in 2011-12.

"We pushed him further forward just because sometimes when you get the opportunity to work with players day-in, day-out you see things that you didn't realise that they may have the capability of," Hughes said.

"His anticipation of where the ball is going to land was evident for everyone to see. In midfield or out wide or wherever the ball was dropping he anticipates really well. So if you can get him anticipating things in the box he's going to get on the end of things and that's what's happening at the moment.

"We're delighted with what he's producing. Clearly he's a little bit fragile at the moment because his workload since the summer is up greatly. We are going to have to manage him through this period while his body gets in tune but he's doing exceptionally well. We're delighted he's with us."

Joe Allen: I found out from friend's text I was leaving Liverpool

Joe Allen was having a short holiday in Ibiza last month, reflecting on Wales’ remarkable Euro 2016 journey, when he discovered Liverpool were selling him to Stoke.

After four years at Anfield he left as a cult hero with supporters, a hugely popular figure in the dressing room with his reputation enhanced after playing a key role in helping Wales to reach the semi-finals.

Joe Allen in action at Euro 2016 with Wales CREDIT: EPA

He is now focusing on a new chapter in the Potteries and hopeful of making his home debut against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Saturday, after sealing a £13  million move. But sitting at Stoke’s training ground on Thursday after agreeing to a rare interview, he admits the way it ended at Liverpool left a sour taste.

Allen is low maintenance, reluctant to make headlines and chooses his words carefully, yet clearly feels his departure could have been better handled.

“I actually had a text message off a friend congratulating me about making the move when I didn’t even know it was happening at the time,” he says. “Not knowing whether the club intend to sell you or keep you, especially when you’re trying to ask the question, is disappointing.

Joe Allen and Jurgen Klopp CREDIT: REUTERS

“If I’m honest, to find out they accepted an offer through the press isn’t the best way of going about business, I don’t think. The communication wasn’t great but as soon as Liverpool accepted an offer I knew what their intentions were for me. It was a bit strange but that’s how things happen sometimes. There was no real goodbye, but I’m not the most sentimental person anyway. It’s irrelevant now because sitting here I’ve got the move I wanted.”

Allen bears no grudges and, indeed, says he has many fond memories of his time at Liverpool. He was infamously branded “the Welsh Xavi” by Brendan Rodgers shortly after moving from Swansea in 2012 and it is easy to forget the role he later played when Liverpool chased Manchester City for the title.

When Rodgers was sacked in October last season, he had to start again under Jürgen Klopp but proved himself to earn the respect of Liverpool fans. His sale polarised opinion among those supporters, with many claiming Liverpool should have offered him a new contract. But the lack of game time – just eight Premier League starts last season – made it an easy decision.

Joe Allen is popular amongst Liverpool and Wales fans CREDIT: PA

“Being a regular wasn’t going to happen and that’s fair enough. If you look at the quality Liverpool have got in midfield, and maybe the age of the players, I think I’d have been waiting for injuries and suspensions. Realistically, if you’ve been there four years you expect more than that.

“I’m not going to be happy unless I’m on the pitch on a regular basis. I’m 26 now and the next four or five years are going to be my best. I’m really excited about this move because the ambition is there to get better. In the three seasons Mark Hughes has had you’ve seen the progress Stoke have made, the players he’s brought in and the style he has imposed. We’ve finished ninth three seasons running and the aim now is to look at those places above.” 

Stoke’s capture of Allen is even more impressive when you consider his performances at the European Championship. The heartbeat of the Wales midfield, he produced his best display in the stunning victory over Belgium and was deservedly named in the Team of the Tournament.

Joe Allen in action for Stoke CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Those ‘Welsh Pirlo’ comparisons with the Italian maestro did not seem so far-fetched. The fairy tale ended against eventual winners Portugal in the semi-final but Allen admits it was a life-changing event.

“As a Welshman I’d always dreamed of reaching a major tournament and wondered if it would ever happen but reaching the semi-finals is unforgettable. We were riding the crest of a wave, getting better and better, but Portugal was just one step too far. It maybe caught up with us.”

All the attention garnered from Euro 2016 was a new experience for Allen, who readily admits he is an Average Joe. He is private and humble, though Liverpool players will tell you he was one of the most outgoing members of the squad. It was once revealed that he keeps chickens with his wife Lacey, but other details about the Welshman are scarce. So who is the real Joe Allen?

Joe Allen (centre) was one called the 'Welsh Xavi' CREDIT: REX FEATURES

“I’m a family guy who likes to fly under the radar. That’s why I don’t like talking about chickens! I’ve never really been comfortable in the spotlight. I’ve still got a family home in Swansea and get back when I can. People who know me probably get to see the real me.

“I’ve been asked about Twitter before and people say I should make more of an effort to get on there. At a club like Liverpool which has global support, people do want more access into you and your life, but I’m a bit more old school.” 

It is no wonder, then, that he looked so uncomfortable on the Being: Liverpool documentary.

“That was one of the things that scarred me!” he says, laughing. “I remember walking through the door and there was a camera crew there. That’s an example of where I’m out of my comfort zone and I’m not a big fan of that side of things.

“I’m a footballer and my job is out there on the pitch. I’ve always been a team player and seen my role as helping the team function better. I think I’ve got attributes that can help Stoke.

“Everyone is keeping an eye on Guardiola but we’re hoping to make it very difficult for him and his team on Saturday.”

Joe Allen's Fine Euro 2016 Form Eases Jürgen Klopp's Midfield Worries

Jürgen Klopp is no longer desperate to sign a new midfielder after Joe Allen's fine form at Euro 2016 has convinced Klopp that the Welshman could still have a future at Anfield. 

With only 12 months left on his current contract, it was believed that Liverpool were willing to let Allen go this summer, having been heavily rumoured with a return to his former club Swansea City. 

However the 'Welsh Pirlo' has played a starring role in the heart of a Welsh midfield that confirmed themselves as the surprise package of the tournament by defeating Belgium 3-1 on Friday night to progress to the semi-finals.

According to the ​Daily Mail, Swansea have already had an £8m bid rejected because Liverpool were holding out for a fee closer to £10m, but that figure would now rise given Allen's performances and the cost of comparable transfers.

£10m would certainly be cheap for a man who has been close to faultless throughout an amazing Welsh campaign and while the attacking threats of Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and Hal Robson-Kanu are gaining many of the plaudits, Allen has been equally as vital.

Aside from his impressive tournament performances, Allen is now more than likely to stay at Anfield because deals for Klopp's two targeted replacements, Piotr Zielinksi and Mahmoud Dahoud, are looking more and more unlikely. 

Liverpool have even seen a ​bid for Zielinski rejected, despite Napoli seeing an identical bid accepted, and have seen little progress in their pursuit of Dahoud.

​​Speculation around Allen's future will no doubt continue throughout the window, but for now the 26-year old will be fully focused on continuing his fine form as Wales' Euro 2016 dream lives on. Chris Coleman's side will be looking to make history as they face Portugal for a place in the final and Allen will need to be at his best to keep Ronaldo and company quiet.

Liverpool's Joe Allen: How growing a beard transformed the Welsh Pirlo

Everybody loves Joe Allen - including Liverpool team-mate Sheyi Ojo

Jurgen Klopp has been credited with transforming the Liverpool careers of several players since his arrival at Anfield last October.

None, though, have enjoyed quite the renaissance among supporters as Joe Allen.

Having struggled to convince after following Brendan Rodgers to Anfield from Swansea City in the summer of 2012, the midfielder is now a firm favourite among Reds fans.

And all it took was for him to grow his hair and decline having a shave for a while.

It’s not just the Anfield faithful who are feeling the love for Allen.

When asked to profile each of Wales’ 23-man squad for the forthcoming European Championships, the Dragons skipper Ashley Williams offered this revelation.

“Everyone loves Joe,” says Williams. “We have a WhatsApp messaging group and at least once a week we have a Joe Allen Appreciation Day.

“Great beard, great haircut, great guy, he’s the main man in the squad.

“Class player too.”

Williams isn’t the only one to have fallen for the man Rodgers infamously dubbed ‘the Welsh Xavi’.

And it’s here we learn Allen loves a bit of FIFA – and is putting his intelligence to good use.

“He’s got some nicknames at the moment,” says Wales team-mate Neil Taylor.

“He’s my roomy with Wales, has been for years. We hammer away at FIFA on the PlayStation, hours a day, putting the world to rights in that room.

People, that person on the left is Joe Allen. Seriously

“But he is one of our best players, without a doubt. I remember when we played in the Olympics together he was unbelievable on the back of a great season with Swansea.

“When Brendan (Rodgers) left it was a natural fit for him to go to Liverpool. Any time I have seen him for Liverpool, he has played really well and he is very much underestimated.

“He goes under the radar and he keeps the team ticking. He is the cog in the middle of the pitch who people might not see, making a great clearance at one end or the goal at the other.

“But he is the engine of the team. He is a great player, a great lad and very intelligent.

“He is doing a psychology degree at the moment.

“We all agree that he looks a lot better with the beard and hair – a different guy.”

Allen’s beard has been the subject of much conjecture since its appearance during the season.

And his new-found similarity to Italy midfielder great Andrea Pirlo has prompted the big question.

Does he prefer the Welsh Xavi or the Welsh Pirlo?

“I don’t think I’m really either,” says Allen. “But I prefer the Pirlo shout.”

Liverpool fans wanting their latest Allen fix can see him in action for Wales in their Group B opener against Slovakia on Saturday evening.

Joe Allen's Jesus-like face "appears" in a chicken nugget

If it's not Andrea Pirlo that Joe Allen's being compared to, it's the Saviour of Man.

Since sprouting a Jesus-y-looking beard, the Liverpool midfielder has jokingly been compared to the Son of God by some of the club's supporters, but things are getting a bit silly now.

In the same way that JC's face is claimed to turn up in the most unexpected of places, this now appears to be the case with the Welshman, after *actual newspapers* reported how Allen's face had appeared in a chicken nugget.

Given that Joe Allen's face recently appeared on the cover of Chicken Magazine, you have to appreciate the irony of his 'face' now appearing on a chicken nugget.

Don't dare say that it's a slow news day.

Bookies make Simon Mignolet and Joe Allen the favourites to leave Liverpool this summer

Bookmakers Ladbrokes have made Joe Allen and Simon Mignolet the favourites to leave Liverpool in the next transfer window.

Goalkeeper Mignolet only recently signed a new long-term contract at Anfield, but his high-profile mistakes continue and the Reds will surely be looking for a more reliable stopper as they bid to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

Welsh international Allen has played 115 times for Liverpool to date, including 20 times this season, but despite scoring two goals and providing two assists in the current campaign his lack of starts could be the deciding factor.

Ladbrokes have odds of 6/4 for Mignolet to find a new club this summer with Allen rated at 2/1 to leave at the next available opportunity.

Unsurprisingly considering his lack of impact since his summer switch from Aston Villa, striker Christian Benteke is the joint third favourite to leave Liverpool with odds of 3/1 (the same as Adam Lallana).

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gave the players he inherited the chance to prove themselves rather than going crazy in the January transfer window. However the German will now be aware that changes need to be made to turn his promising side into genuine title contenders.

Joe Allen, Benteke, Sturridge and many more to leave Liverpool this summer

According to Daily Mail, Liverpool will clear out half of its first team players this summer.

Players like Christian Bentek, Joe Allen, Lucas Leiva, Kolo Toure, Jose Enrique, Daniel Sturridge (only if a good bid comes in), goalkeeper Adam Bogdan and Ilori are all free to Anfield. 

Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to build his own team capable of playing his own style of football (energetic and relentless running) without succumbing to injuries and fatigue. 

The present squad is not good enough to challenge for titles, therefore, the need to clear out and buy very good players is paramount for the club to achieve great things in the future.