'I've slept very little' - interim boss Shawcross

Stoke's outgoing interim boss Ryan Shawcross says he had very little sleep during his tenure in charge of the club which saw him earn four points out of a possible six.

Shawcross, 37, is a club legend in the Potteries having spent more than 15 years at the Bet365 Stadium, first as a player and then coach.

But he admitted he found it difficult to unwind while acting as caretaker head coach after the sacking of Narcis Pelach.

"It's intense, I've slept very little, my throat's gone and I feel ill," Shawcross told BBC Radio Stoke following his side's 0-0 draw with Burnley.

"The absolute desire for me to be a manager is there but it was a very intense four, five days.

"There was a lot going on but the biggest thing was how much I enjoyed it and loved pitting my wits against the Sunderland manager and today against Scott Parker."

Shawcross will return to his role as the club's under-21 head coach now Mark Robins' backroom staff has been confirmed before the former Coventry boss' first game in charge of the club - Saturday's home fixture against Plymouth Argyle.

"The new manager is in place, he'll take [first-team training] tomorrow, I'll go back down to the under-21s and start learning again," Shawcross added.

"It's been a great experience for me, I can only thank the owner and Walts [sporting director Jonathan Walters] for giving me this opportunity."