Meet the opposition | Stoke City
As Swansea City get set to face Stoke City, we take a closer look at the Potters.
WHAT'S THEIR STORY?
Stoke City is the oldest professional Football League club, having initially been founded in 1863 as Stoke Ramblers. The team was originally mainly made up of local railway workers.
They became Stoke Football Club in 1878 and before becoming Stoke City in 1920.
The club's first, and to date only, major trophy was won in 1972, when Stoke beat Chelsea to win the League Cup.
The Potters have won the Football League Trophy on two occasions, first in 1992 and most recently in 2000.
After having a successful run under Tony Pulis that led the Potters to the Premier League and the FA Cup Final, they are now in a fifth season back in the Championship following relegation in 2018.
HOW'S THEIR FORM?
Up and down. Stoke strung together a run of three wins in October, but have since gone six matches without a win, losing four of them in succession.
However, they have claimed some notable wins at the bet365 Stadium, beating promotion hopefuls Sunderland and Leeds in the Potteries.
WHO'S THE GAFFER?
Paul Gallagher is in charge for Tuesday night's fixture after Alex Neil left the Potters on Sunday following defeat against Sheffield Wednesday.
The former midfielder joined the Potters' coaching staff in the summer, having previously spent two years with Preston.
As a player, Gallagher made over 550 league appearances for Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield United, helping Preston secure promotion via the League One play-offs in 2015.
He also won a solitary cap for Scotland.
WHO'S THE CAPTAIN?
Josh Laurent. The midfielder joined the Potters from Reading in the summer of 2022 and, following an excellent first season at the club, was handed the captain's armband in the summer.
A driving presence in the heart of midfield, Laurent also has an eye for goal in the final third and his scored twice and registered two assists this season.
Having been on the books with Chelsea, Wycome Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers at youth level, Laurent went on to have stints with Braintree (loan), Brentford, Newport County (loan), Hartlepool United, Wigan Athletic, Bury (loan) and Shrewsbury before his move to Berkshire with Reading.
He featured prominently in a Royals side that challenge for the play-offs in his first season at the club, and he moved to Stoke when his contract expired last summer.
WHO ARE THE KEY MEN?
Andre Vidigal has made a bright start to life in the Potteries following his summer move from Maritimo, scoring five goals in 13 appearances.
The 25-year--old started his career in his homeland with Academica before joining Dutch club Fortuna Sittard, where his goals helped the club secure promotion to the Eredivisie.
A successful loan spell at APOEL Nicosia which brought a Cypriot title and Super Cup win.
Vidigal went on to Estoril and Maritimo, scoring nine goals in 65 league games for the latter before his move to the Championship.
Ki-Jana Hoever is on loan at the bet365 Stadium from Premier League Wolves and has made a fine start to the season, and has a goal and two assists to his name.
The 21-year-old, who can play at centre-back or full-back, emerged at AZ Alkmaar and Ajax before joining Liverpool's academy in 2018.
He made four first-team appearances for the Reds, scoring in a Carabao Cup win at MK Dons, before making the switch to Wolves in 2020.
He made his full Premier League debut against Manchester United later that year and had a loan stint with PSV.
Hoever spent the second half of last term with Stoke, and has returned for the full 2023-24 campaign.
Midfielder Wouter Burger joined Stoke from Swiss club Basel in the summer and has two goals and an assist to his name.
The Dutchman came through the youth systems at Excelsior and Feyenoord , and made his senior breakthrough for the latter, and helped them win the Johan Cruyff Shield.
He would have loan spells with Excelsior and Sparta Rotterdam before a permanent move to Basel in 2021, featuring extensively in the Swiss top-flight and the Europa Conference League.
At international level he has been capped at youth level by the Netherlands, and helped them win the European Under-17 Championship in 2018, and featured for the under-21s in their own Euro finals last summer.