Danny Pugh insists his Stoke City Football Club pal Ryan Shawcross is not a dirty player.

Shawcross was shown the red card in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat to Arsenal, for a challenge on Aaron Ramsey which Arsene Wenger has described as horrendous.

The Welsh international is likely to be out for around twelve months due to the leg break, but Pugh has hit back at claims that his team-mate is a malicious player.

“I have obviously seen it and I think it was a 50-50 tackle," he said. "Ryan has not gone in to hurt him. He is not a malicious kind of lad and does not go out to hurt anyone.”

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