When Joe Allen left the bet365 Stadium pitch in tears, shortly after Stoke’s relegation to the Championship had been confirmed, for most supporters it felt like a goodbye.

We’ve all read the script before: a Premier League club suffers the drop, the vultures start circling and international players jump ship before the fixtures have even landed.

In many cases, most recently at West Bromwich Albion, it can even get ugly, with players refusing to attend training camps, slapping in transfer requests and moaning about salary reductions until they flee the sinking ship.

Allen, however, is different, and the polar opposite of those mutinous players who feel the blood and snot of the Championship is the equivalent of football hell.

One of the few players who could walk away from Stoke’s excruciating campaign last season with his head held high, Allen has signed a new contract and the Wales international is fully focused on helping the club make a swift return.