Former Middlesbrough, Burnley and York City defender finds new club after Norwich City exit

Gibson, a product of the Middlesbrough academy, was a mainstay at the Riverside and his exploits for the club even earned him an England call-up. Since leaving in 2018, however, he has been unable to land a second call-up.

His move to Burnley failed to yield game time and the 31-year-old has spent the bulk of the last six years in the Championship with Norwich. After suffering play-off heartbreak with the Canaries last term, Gibson was made a free agent.

However, he was not one for long as he has signed a three-year deal at Stoke. He is the club’s second summer signing, following in the footsteps of former Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

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After putting pen to paper, Gibson said: “Stoke City is a fantastic club, with lots of history, huge stature and I am looking forward to getting to work. I have played here, the atmosphere is fantastic and the fanbase speaks for itself.

“I want to be part of a team that brings the good times back to Stoke. There are some brilliant players here and it is now about creating that unity and togetherness to find the camaraderie which will set us on our way to achieving something great.

“We have to build a culture and environment where everyone is demanding of each other, where we don’t accept second best from anyone in this football club from top to bottom.

“Our fans work hard to earn their money every week to come and support us so they need to see a team that reflects them, their personalities and attitude to life. It is important we recreate that and they have that connection with the team.”