Stoke City have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Lee Grant in a £1.3million permanent move from Derby County. The 33-year-old has penned a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League side. Grant joined the Potters on loan in the summer to provide back-up to veteren glovesman Shay Given, with number one Jack Butland on the sidelines with an ankle injury he suffered on England duty back in March. The 33-year-old initially played second fiddle to Given but has recently been Mark Hughes' first choice gloveman after a series of impressive displays.And, after a positive four months in which he made 16 appearances and kept six clean sheets, the club have now tied Grant to a full-time contract at the bet365 Stadium.
Grant had found his first team chances restricted at Pride Park following the arrival of Scott Carson, but has thrived since joining the Potters. Stoke chief executive Tony Scholes said: "Lee found himself with an opportunity to make an impression in the Premier League and to suggest he has grabbed that chance with both hands would be an understatement. "He has shown outstanding form on a consistent basis and we're delighted to have reached an agreement with Derby to make his transfer permanent."
Hughes revealed this week that the 23-year-old Butland is expected to miss the rest of the season as he continues to recover from the injury. Derby manager Steve McClaren, meanwhile, was sorry to see Grant leave, with the goalkeeper a key figure for him during his first spell with the Rams, but he could not stand in his way with Premier League football on offer. ''We wish Lee all the very best at Stoke City; it is a good deal for both clubs,'' said McClaren. ''He was a major part of the team which got to the play-off final in 2014 and we thank him for his contribution."
Grant came through the academy system at Derby and made 186 appearances for the club over two spells. He played 79 times between 2002 and 2007 before returning in the summer of 2013 after stints at Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley. Grant made a further 107 appearances for Derby and was a mainstay in the team that reached the Championship play-off final in 2014, before Scott Carson became the club's first-choice goalkeeper at the start of the 2015/16 campaign.
