Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has admitted that he tried to lure West Ham midfielder Scott Parker to the Britannia Stadium prior to the transfer deadline.

However, Parker has since joined Tottenham in a 5.5m GBP deal.

"We did have a go for Parker. It was something we were trying to do for a few weeks," Pulis told the Sentinel.

"But we realised that if he could, he wanted to stay in London. That was a big part of it with him.

"I enquired about him and kept in touch with Sam Allardyce to find out what the situation was but Sam said Parker would prefer to stay in London because he'd got three boys in school there."