Apologetic Fuller says his future in Stoke´s hands

Stoke City striker Ricardo Fuller apologised to the club's fans Wednesday after being sent-off for slapping his own captain Andy Griffin in the Premier League defeat against West Ham last weekend.

But the Jamaica forward was unsure if his words would be enough to keep him with the Potters, whose 2-1 loss to West Ham last Sunday left them in the relegation zone.

Fuller, who accused Griffin of “disrespecting” him, told Sky Sports on Wednesday: “It (the incident) happened and that's all. I'm sorry for the fans especially as we didn't get the three points.”

The bizarre flashpoint came just moments after Carlton Cole's equaliser for the Hammers at Upton Park as Fuller lost his cool following a row with Griffin over who was responsible for the goal.

“It was just one of them things. It shouldn't have happened. I just simply said to Griff 'clear the ball out' and he was rude and disrespectful. It's all done and dusted now.

“What he said was bad but what I did was worse and I'm probably going to be suspended for three or four games now.”

Stoke chairman Peter Coates insisted Monday the Potters wanted to keep Fuller but the forward, asked if the clash with Griffin signalled the end of his time at the Britannia Stadium, added: “Who knows? It's up to the club.

“I give my all for Stoke, all the time,” said the 29-year-old, who joined from second-tier Ipswich in 2006.

“Maybe I give too much. Maybe that's why I am in this position now because I was trying to do so much for football and for Stoke City because I am a Stoke City player at the moment and that's all I care about – Stoke City, the team and myself,” added Fuller, who has scored six goals so far this season.

“Anything that goes, goes, I'm okay. It's not a position any football player would like to be in. It's one of them things and I've just got to get over it. It will go away anyway, it's just a matter of time. Time is always the master.

“I'm sorry for what happened, especially for the fans who have been great this season. Hopefully, it will never happen again. It's not a position I like to be in. I'm so passionate, I love to do football work and I love to do football work for Stoke City. Anyway, it's up to the club.”

Coates told the club's official website that Stoke had no plans to offload Fuller during the January transfer window.

“It hasn't entered our heads to sell him,” he said. “We're absolutely sure we want to keep him.

“Ric's a good player and you don't sell your good players.

“He's a big player and an important player, he helped to get us here (the Premier League), and he'll stay at the club.