Stoke defender Andy Wilkinson has told TEAMtalk's Insider Mark Holmes he is living the dream playing for his hometown club in the top flight.

Wilkinson, a graduate of Stoke's Academy, joined the club nine years ago as a raw 15-year-old but it is only over the last two seasons that he has really risen to prominence.

He made his first-team debut for the Potters in 2001 but a raft of injuries hindered his chances of making a real name for himself at the club. He enjoyed numerous successful loan spells, though, and nearly made a permanent move to Blackpool last season.

However, Tony Pulis saw enough in Wilkinson to keep him at the club and the uncompromising right-back went on to make 25 appearances in last season's promotion campaign.

The summer signing of Andrew Davies, plus the presence of club captain Andy Griffin, rendered it unlikely Wilkinson would be a Premier League regular, but he has established himself as a crucial member of the club's back four since breaking into the team in November.

The 24-year-old is set to take his place in an unchanged back four at Everton on Saturday and he could not be happier.

He said: "It's a dream come true playing in the top flight for my local team so I'm buzzing and want to push on from here.

"Stoke is where I want to be playing and I've always dreamt of playing at the highest level so I'm absolutely delighted. I always dreamt of this when I was growing up watching Match of the Day, thinking 'what if?' so it's a dream and a pleasure.

"This is my ninth season including with the youth team. I've been out and got my experience but I played around 25 games last season and this is where I want to be now.

"Coming from Stone Dominoes as a teenager I wasn't as technically good as the other players but I had the determination to get here and now I'm getting more confident with every game I play.

"I'm not sure whether I'm a fans favourite, but I know when I was growing up I liked to see big tackles and local lads in the team. I will always give 110% as well because it's the team I love, so this is a massive thing for me."

Wilkinson's form in recent months has restricted Stephen Kelly to just one start since joining Stoke on loan in January, and the Stone-born star is happy to be kept on his toes.

Now he is determined to help the Potters build on the clean sheet in the last outing against Bolton with another good defensive display at Everton this weekend - and hopefully a first away win for the season.

He said: "There's a lot of competition but I relish the battle for the position and hopefully I'm winning it at the moment. I always wanted to fight for my place here and I got that break when Griff (Andy Griffin) got injured, took my opportunity and pushed on from there.

"Now the back four is settled and we have a good understanding of how each other play and we trust each other too so that's a good starting point.

"The gaffer works really hard with us on our defending and he's quality so it's all been drummed into us now and will hopefully come naturally to us. The clean sheet against Bolton was a bonus and now we want a good away result.

"It's going to be a very tough game against Everton because they're big and direct, and they'll put in a strong battle as well as trying to play through you. We've got to win that battle first but I don't see why we can't get our first away win.

"We're due one and we've just got to take our recent form and the team spirit we've got into the away games and get the results we need."

A win at Goodison Park would edge Stoke further clear of the relegation zone and move them to 32 points, just eight away from the magical 40-point mark.

Wilkinson believes the fight for survival will go right to the wire, but he is confident the Potters can pull clear and prove wrong the critics who wrote them off so readily at the start of the season.

"It's so close but I'm sure we can do it," he said. "The lads are buzzing and we all really get on with each other. There's not one clique in our dressing room and that is a credit to the gaffer because he gets in the players that will fit in. We all get on here and work for each other.

"There's still a long way to go but everyone wrote us off and we've come a long way. We've proved a lot of people wrong so far and hopefully we can keep that going and stay where we are.

"Blackburn's result at Fulham was a bit of a downer but we've got to concentrate on our own games and take each one as it comes. We've just got to stick together as a team and we will get the results we need."

Meanwhile Wilkinson has vowed to do everything possible to help James Beattie get on over on his former club Everton this weekend.

Beattie scored just 13 goals in 76 appearances for the Toffees but he already has five in seven for his new club and Wilkinson hopes he and his team-mates can help him out on Saturday afternoon.

He added: "Beatts is a top man. He's great around the dressing room and I've never seen a player fit in so well at a football club straight away. He's brilliant on and off the pitch and has been an absolute bonus.

"I'll be delighted for him if he can go and score a hat-trick but seriously, we'll do everything we can to help him out as much as he helps us out."