Ambitious Stoke a good fit for me - Galbraith

Jul 09, 2026 - 14:05

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Stoke City's marquee summer signing Ethan Galbraith says the ambition of the Championship club made the move to the Potteries feel like the right one.

The Northern Ireland midfielder signed for an eight-figure fee, including potential add-ons, from Swansea City on 1 July.

He joined on the same day as former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Svante Ingelsson, bringing the number of Stoke's transfer deals in preparation for the new season to four.

Galbraith has signed a contract until the end of the 2030-31 season and said he was relishing the chance to get Stoke back to the Premier League for the first time since 2018.

"I've said it a couple of times, the ambition of the club, where it wants to go, sort of aligns with how I want to go in my career," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"Everything that I heard appealed to me."

Galbraith spent one season with the Swans, who made a sizeable profit on the player they paid Leyton Orient £1.5m for last summer.

Despite his short stay in south Wales, Galbraith acknowledged the part Swansea had played in his development.

"There's obviously big respect from me to Swansea. They've been massive for me," he said.

"But coming here, the facilities and stuff on offer to all the boys, it's high level so you can really you can feel the pride and it's a big club when you come and see the place.

"You see how intense the training is. So I think it's a good place to come and work and everyone pushes each other every day."

In a twist of fate, Galbraith, 25, will face his old club on the opening weekend of the new season as Swansea visit the bet365 Stadium on Saturday, 15 August.

"It's something you don't think about at the time and then you see the fixtures and I don't think many people will go from one club to the other and have their old club first game," he said.

"But obviously it's football. I'll stay professional and do my job for the team. I don't think I'll do anything different because I'm playing against my old club compared to if we're playing anyone else."

'I know it's a really good fit for me'

With Stoke keen to end their near-decade absence from the top flight, and the money invested in strengthening the squad over the past year, the expectation on Mark Robins' side this season will inevitably be raised.

Former Stoke boss - and Galbraith's international manager - Michael O'Neill gave the Potters a ringing endorsement when the two spoke about the move.

"He had nothing but good things to say about the club so it was great to get an insight," Galbraith said.

"I think pressure-wise, we all try not to listen to the outside noise so, from a young age, I've always put that pressure on myself wherever I've played so it's no different.

"I know it is a really good fit for me."