Austria tour ideal for Stoke boss

Pulis led Stoke to 12th position in the Premier League last season

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has said the tour of Austria in July will be the perfect preparation for the club's second season in the Premier League.

The Potters travel to the state of Styria on 15 July and will play two matches during their week-long stay.

Pulis told BBC Radio Stoke: "It's a lovely country because it's so quiet, I really like Austria and we're all really looking forward to it.

"The games we have over there are usually pretty competitive as well."

Pulis added: "We take the lads into the countryside and they concentrate solely on their fitness levels.

"It's a bit above sea level too, so they all have to work a little bit harder."

Stoke have been on pre-season tours to Austria every summer since 2003, and have been involved in some high-profile fixtures, including a match against Real Madrid in 2007 and games against FC Nuremburg and the Bahrain national side in 2008.