Jack Butland told Benik Afobe 'nothing but great things about' Stoke City prior to the striker's committing the next six months to the English Championship side.
Congo DR's Afobe - a former England youth international with Butland - revealed he enquired about the bet365 Stadium outfit from the World Cup-bound goalkeeper who shared convincing information.
#WelcomeAfobe
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) June 12, 2018
Stoke City are delighted to announce the signing of @Wolves striker Benik Afobe
The 25-year-old striker has moved to the bet365 Stadium on a six-month loan but with an obligation to purchase him for an undisclosed fee in January
👉 https://t.co/m3OlyfxJuH#SCFC pic.twitter.com/CoHv85EAL4
“Jack’s a good guy and he’s said nothing but great things about the Club,” Afobe told Stoke City+.
“Jack and I go back to our days playing together for England at youth level and I had a chat with him once I became aware of Stoke City’s interest.
“He told me about the fanbase, about the facilities here and the squad itself and my main aim now is to do well for Stoke City.”
Afobe's loan move to the Potters came as a surprise after he only signed permanently for Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of the month.
The striker spent the second half of last campaign on loan at Wolves after he was left frustrated due to lack of game time at Premier League side Bournemouth.
The 25-year-old scored six goals to aid the Molineux outfit's charge to the Championship title, thus, securing a spot in the 2018-19 top-flight campaign.
However, the decision to drop back to the second division - in a six-month loan deal expected to be made permanent in January - according to him, was influenced by the prospect of working under Stoke new manager Gary Rowett.
“The manager is probably the main reason why I’m signing, to be honest. He’s very ambitious; he’s got a project going on here and I want to be a big part of it," he said.
“What he told me made me feel very comfortable – I believe it what he is trying to achieve and I want to help us get back where we belong.
“The manager clearly believes in me and that’s something that every player wants. I’m hoping I can repay him by scoring some goals and helping the team win games.
“I want to score goals. I work hard and like to run in behind and link up with my teammates and bring other players into the game. I don’t want to big myself up too much – I just want to meet my teammates, get pre-season done and get started next season.
“I’ve played a few years in the Championship, even though I’m only 25, but I still feel as though I’ve got much more to offer.
“What Stoke are offering me and what I can hopefully offer the Club is a great balance and I think we can do something great.”
Afobe's signing is the second Stoke has made in the last 24 hours after World Cup-bound Nigeria midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo's move from Portuguese outfit Feirense.
Also, within that period, Egypt youngster Ramadan Sobhi sealed a return to the Premier League after agreeing on a three-year deal, worth £5.7 million with Huddersfield Town to end his two-year stint with the Staffordshire outfit.