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Allen: Thumb twiddling bench duties forced my Liverpool exit

After finding his starting opportunities at Liverpool limited, Wales midfielder Joe Allen opted for a move to Stoke City and has no regrets.

Joe Allen has revealed that being left "twiddling my thumbs" on the bench at Liverpool made his decision to join Stoke City an easy one.

The Wales midfielder, who impressed with his displays at Euro 2016 to earn a place in UEFA's team of the tournament, last month called time on a four-year spell at Anfield that yielded only 60 Premier League starts.

Allen hoped the arrival of Jurgen Klopp would give him a new lease of life, but was left to reconsider after being restricted to a cameo role and ultimately sealed a switch to the Potters.