Matt: I'm happy Ether after

**Admin** Sat Apr 18, 2009 2:51 pm

MATTHEW ETHERINGTON has gone from invisible man to Tesco celebrity.

As far as Stoke fans are concerned, their new winger is top prize in the supermarket sweep.

Etherington, 27, swapped West Ham for the Potteries in January and has helped Tony Pulis’ side haul themselves into 13th place in the Premier League.

And the player with well-publicised gambling problems admits he is loving life away from London.

He said: “I have settled and really like it. It is different to the bright lights of London but that is not a bad thing.

"It has helped me a lot with the problems I had before. It has settled my mind and I’m happy as a person. It is more peaceful.

“This is the right time to come here and chill out and concentrate on football.

“In London you can go out and not be recognised but that doesn’t happen in Stoke. Fans come up to me in Tesco!

“The manager has been great to me and having an arm around me is probably what I needed.”

A win at home to Blackburn today would virtually clinch Stoke’s top-flight safety.