Danny Higginbotham unsure over Stoke future

Defender Danny Higginbotham is unsure whether he will see out the final year of his contract at Stoke after returning to the club following a loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

The 33-year-old played six games for Steve Cotterill's side but has headed back early to the Britannia Stadium after a recent injury and because the Forest boss wants to take a look at his out-of-contract players.

Higginbotham missed seven months of action, including last season's FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City, after suffering cruciate ligament damage, and he must now wait to see whether he will be part of Stoke manager Tony Pulis' plans going forward.

"I've got a year left here and you just don't know what will happen," Higginbotham told The Sentinel. "You want to be playing, but ultimately that's something that will be decided for me.

"I'd love to stay but if you're not playing it can be frustrating. Your career is soon over and you want to play in as many games as you can while you can.

"In the short term I'll train with the rest of the lads this season to keep my fitness up. And because I had so long out with the injury, I'll probably have just a week or two to myself in the summer to make sure I'm ready to go for pre-season training."

Higginbotham, who is ineligible for Stoke's final five games of the season, feels he is finally getting back to something like his best form following his long lay-off.

He said: "I feel much better, physically and psychologically, after getting a few games. However long you are out, that's how long it takes to get back to what you were. And now I feel like I'm getting back to how I was before the injury."

PA