Bothroyd has got 15 goals in 16 games for Cardiff this season

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has admitted that he would have liked to have signed England striker Jay Bothroyd from Wolves in 2008.

Bothroyd, 28, spent a month on loan at Stoke during their promotion winning season before joining Cardiff.

"I still keep in touch with Jay, he's a great lad. He was really happy here but he wanted first team football," Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke.

"If anything we could have kept him on for a year and had a look at him."

Bothroyd made four appearances for the Potters during his stay but could not force his way into the first team on a regular basis.

The lack of playing time forced him to look elsewhere and he made his move to the Welsh capital later that year.

"We had Mama [Mamady Sidibe] and Ric [Ricardo Fuller], who were pretty outstanding at the time and we'd borrowed Jay and Shola Ameobi from Newcastle as well," Pulis added.

"Mama and Ric were flying so it was a difficult situation."

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