Filed under: Stoke City, FA Cup, Premier League, Football
Thomas Sorensen is assured of his starting place in Stoke's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley this weekend but is still facing an uncertain future.Denmark international Sorensen is preparing for the biggest game of his Potters career but will have to make a major decision in the summer, whatever the outcome of Stoke's FA Cup mission this season.
The goalkeeper has been used exclusively in cup competitions by manager Tony Pulis this season, undoubtedly playing his part in taking the club to their first semi-final in nearly 40 years.
But it has still been a frustrating campaign for the 34-year-old, with Pulis selecting rival Asmir Begovic for Premier League fixtures since October.
The role of a substitute goalkeeper can be an excruciating one at the best of times, especially when you have the experience and ability of Sorensen, a proven international.
He has been forced, in his own words, to play "second fiddle" for the majority of this season and negotiations over a new contract, to replace the one that expires this summer, have been put on the back burner while he considers his next move.
The adrenaline rush of walking out at England's national stadium will temporarily ease the dilemma but Sorensen will know that he faces sitting in the dug-out again when Stoke return to league action.
He said: "It's always frustrating because I want to be playing. Especially as a goalkeeper, you can't just come on and get 10 minutes and score the winning goal.
"We're waiting for a meeting with the manager and we'll obviously discuss what's going to happen. They've said they want to keep me here. I really like being here, it's a fantastic club and it's good for my family and the fans are great.
"There's a lot of positives but the negative thing is I'm not playing. We'll need to discuss that and see where we end up."
The inference is clear: play me more Tony, or I'm off. At such a crucial stage of his career, Sorensen cannot afford to be facing another season of simply playing in cup games.
Pulis has frequently claimed Begovic is one of the best young goalkeepers in the division and rigidly stuck with him, despite high-profile mistakes against Birmingham and West Ham.
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