Danny Pugh has told TEAMtalk's Insider Mark Holmes of his delight with his Stoke recall - and says the Potters can assure their safety early.

Pugh last spoke to our Insider in November, with the midfielder revealing his frustration at a lack of first-team action and admitting he may seek a January exit.

Things have changed significantly for Pugh since then and since making his first league start of the season at Newcastle in early December the 26-year-old has established himself as a regular in and around the Stoke team.

Pugh could not be happier to have been handed his chance in the Premier League and has told Tony Pulis he will play anywhere if it means a place in the starting line-up.

"The start of the season was very frustrating," he said, "because I couldn't get a look in. But in the last few months I've been in and around the team so that's been a big boost for me.

"You've just got to work as hard as possible to get yourself into the manager's mind when you're not in the team and I just tried to train as hard as possible.

"But me getting back into the team came out of nowhere really because nothing had really changed and then suddenly I was in against Newcastle so it was a big surprise and a big lift for me.

"It's gone well for me since then too and it's been brilliant testing myself against some of the best players in the world - the last few months have been a big plus for me.

"I've played in a few different positions but wherever there's a gap I'll try to fill it. I feel more comfortable in midfield because I've played there more but I certainly don't mind playing left-back when I'm needed."

Pugh admits the difference in quality between the Championship and Premier League is vast and, as he prepares for a possible outing on the left wing against Portsmouth on Saturday, he revealed the two widemen at Stoke have arguably the toughest jobs in the team, hinting at the reasons behind Liam Lawrence's extended absence from the team in the process.

He said: "The Premier League isn't a 100 miles an hour like it is in the Championship but if you make a mistake you usually concede a goal and if you give the ball away it's difficult to get it back, so they're the two biggest differences between the leagues I'd say.

"Whoever plays on the left on Saturday will be up against Glen Johnson and Jermaine Pennant who are both very pacy so there'll be a lot of work to do. The two widemen in our team have to do a hell of a lot of running."

Pugh admits the clash with Portsmouth could be a defining moment in the club's season and he expects the Britannia Stadium crowd to once again play a big part in deciding the game's outcome. He does believe, however, the Potters can come out on top on Saturday and go on to ensure their survival a few games before the final weekend.

He said: "It's a massive game but it's a big plus that we're at home because our form at the Britannia is so good. It's going to be a big test and a huge three points if we get them, and the fans will definitely help.

"They were brilliant last season and they've stepped it up another notch this season and have been a different class. These are the sort of atmospheres you want to play in as a footballer, it's what it's all about.

"At home we've proved we can beat anyone and there's no doubt we've got to improve our away form but if we can do that I don't think we'll have a problem staying up.

"There's a lot of teams who could get sucked into the relegation fight but we're looking to be out of that before the end of the season and move up the table as quickly as possible.

"It will go right to the last day but hopefully we'll have pulled out by then. We've got a good enough team and a good enough squad and everyone's confident we can stay in this division.

"I've not looked too far ahead at the fixtures but we'd like to get ourselves safe as soon as possible and we're confident we can do it."

Meanwhile Pugh revealed his 'chest' feels fine following his miraculous goal-line save at Sunderland two weeks ago.