STOKE City hero Jackie Marsh is backing fellow home-grown right-back Andy Wilkinson to be a major player for the Potters again next season.

League Cup winner Marsh, aged 61, is recovering from a heart attack he suffered a month ago, which required a triple heart bypass operation to save his life.

He still plans to be back at the Britannia Stadium next season, and is hoping to see Wilkinson build on his promising performances in the Premier League last year.

Fenton-born Marsh came through the ranks at Stoke to become right-back in Tony Waddington’s famous home-grown back four alongside Denis Smith, Alan Bloor and Mike Pejic.

He was in City’s 1972 League Cup-winning side and made 444 appearances for Stoke.
Marsh was delighted to see fellow Stoke fan Wilkinson, from Stone, play 22 league games to help keep Stoke in the Premier League.

Marsh said: “I think the strength of the team was the defending, and Wilko grabbed his chance with both hands.

“He’s an exciting prospect. We saw in that FA Cup match against Newcastle two seasons ago that he’s a wholehearted player who can also get forward.

“He will learn from getting sent off against Manchester United when he was enticed into those challenges by Ronaldo.

“But he’s playing in probably the best league in the world and he held his own. That takes some doing, and I think he can go from strength to strength now he’s had a run in the side.”

Marsh says he knows just how Wilkinson felt last season as a Stoke fan playing for the Potters.

He added: “Wilko can be proud of himself as a local lad who has made the breakthrough.

“I was brought up within hearing distance of the ground and went there every Saturday from when I was seven or eight.

“It was my schoolboy ambition to play for Stoke. I have red and white blood in my veins and there was no other club I wanted to play for.

“The fans can’t help but be proud of what Stoke achieved last season. Their effort and endeavour were brilliant and the crowd at the Britannia is phenomenal.”

Marsh is looking forward to watching Stoke in action next season, but mainly feels lucky just to be alive as he didn’ t realise he’d had a heart attack until he reached hospital.

He said: “I felt pains on the Friday, but didn’t do anything about it for 12 hours except have a cup of tea and some Ibuprofen.

“But on Saturday morning the pain was ten out of ten. I rang my daughter, the ambulance took me in, and I had the operation on the Monday morning. It was all a whirlwind.

“The staff at the North Staffs Hospital were brilliant, as was my surgeon Mr Abid. He’s told me I’ve got a second chance now.

“I feel very lucky. The anaesthetist, who is a Stoke fan, told me I’d really made the surgeon work for his money.”

Marsh, who lives in Longton, has thanked the well-wishers who have been in touch.

The father of four said: “Lots of the people who work at Stoke have sent me cards, as have fans from all over the place. I had some flowers from Stoke supporters in Leeds and my daughter has been inundated with calls.

“Gordon Banks, George Eastham and Terry Conroy also came up to see me.

“They usually only let family into intensive care but, seeing as it was Gordon Banks, they didn’t say no.”

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