New Stoke City midfielder Svante Ingelsson says he is comfortable dealing with the pressure of an expected promotion challenge this season.
The Potters have been trying to win their place back in the Premier League for the past eight seasons since dropping out of the top flight in the 2017-18 season.
The best Championship finish the club have managed in that time is 14th, which they achieved in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Stoke’s injury-hit challenge faded after an excellent start last term, and they ended the campaign in 17th, 18 points adrift of the play-offs.
Ingelsson, 28, is one of four new signings brought in so far this summer and joins having experienced Sheffield Wednesday’s financial crisis and relegation last season.
“I think every time you play football, it’s pressure,” the Swede told BBC Radio Stoke. “It doesn’t matter where you play, or for what club.
“I think that’s also the fun that comes with football – that you have something to play for and want to be successful, so I think you just have to enjoy it.”
In Ingelsson’s second season with the Owls, the club’s financial problems resulted in them being put into administration and deducted 18 points, factors which led to their inevitable relegation with a record 13 games still to play.
After playing in the midst of fan protests against the then owner Dejphon Chansiri and numerous embargoes, Ingelsson said that despite Wednesday now recovering under new owners, he was happy to be at Stoke.
“I think it’s very important for me to have that now and a little bit more calm in that sense outside the pitch to just be able to focus on the football,” he said.
“I think we had that the first year I was in Sheffield because we also wanted to push for the play-offs, and for promotion, and just ended up short in the end.”
Despite only signing for Stoke a week ago, the Swede described the bond between the players as “very, very close”.
“Everyone is willing to work for each other, so for now I just have positives [to say] and I think we’re going to develop the dressing room even more to get even tighter and have a great season.”
Ingelsson said the message from manager Mark Robins had been “very clear” and that they “have to work very hard every day to get that team spirit”.
“We’re going to be a difficult team to play against – that’s very important to get us to where we want to be.
“I think the expectations are very high and the demands – which it should be – so I think we’re off to a great start already.”
