‘I’m getting emotional’ – Rory Delap and the Stoke City gesture that changed his life

Former midfielder Rory Delap recalled how Stoke City offered him a permanent contract after he suffered a broken leg while on loan from Sunderland. Delap sustained the severe injury during his second match for Stoke against Sunderland, prompting fears about his career and rehab.

Despite the injury, manager Tony Pulis, chief executive Tony Scholes, and chairman Peter Coates visited Delap in the hospital to confirm a two-and-a-half-year contract before he had undergone surgery. Delap described the gesture as life-changing before returning to help Stoke earn promotion.