Where Joselu’s team-mates from final Stoke game are now from Roy Keane’s bitter enemy to Lionel Messi pal

JOSELU’S journey to Champions League hero is a unique one.

The Spaniard, 34, scored a decisive brace for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night to clinch a 3-2 aggregate win in their semi-final tie.

Joselu scored twice for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich on Wednesday nightGetty

Joselu spent the 2016/17 season playing for StokePhil Shephard-Lewis – The Sun

Joselu has scored nine goals in La Liga this season and 16 in all competitions

He now has 16 goals this season for the biggest club in the world.

Nobody could have foreseen this kind of meteoric rise coming when Joselu was playing for Stoke eight years ago.

His final game came in May 2016 when he led the line for Mark Hughes’ side in a 2-1 win over West Ham.

Yet back then he was a thoroughly unimpressive forward, scoring four goals in 27 games for the Premier League side.

And his last match for the club somewhat typified his time in Staffordshire.

Mame Biram Diouf replaced him and scored the winner as Joselu’s final moments at the club were spent on the bench.

Since then, Joselu has gone on to reach a Champions League final – and could feature against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on June 1.

But what happened to the rest of his team-mates from that final Stoke game back in 2016? SunSport has taken a look.

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This is how Stoke lined up in Joselu’s final game for the club

Shay Given

Shay Given played just six more games after Joselu’s departure, before he retired in 2017.

He became Derby’s goalkeeping coach under Frank Lampard in 2018 and Wayne Rooney appointed him a first-team coach at the club three years later.

He left Derby in 2021 and recently appeared as a pundit on Sky Sports.

Shay Given retired shortly after Joselu left StokeGetty

Geoff Cameron

American Geoff Cameron spent two more seasons with Stoke, racking up a total of 186 appearances for the club.

He went on to play for QPR and MLS side FC Cincinnati, retiring in 2022 after a 17-year professional career.

Geoff Cameron enjoyed a spell in America after his stint at StokeGetty

Philipp Wollscheid

Phillipp Wollscheid’s stint at Stoke ended in 2017 when he signed for Metz.

The former Germany international retired in 2018 and began playing for his friend’s five-a side futsal team.

Philipp Wollscheid retired in 2018, one year after leaving StokeGetty

Ryan Shawcross

One of the more unique post-Stoke careers, ex-England man Ryan Shawcross, who played 453 games for the club, joined Inter Miami in 2021.

He spent 11 months with the MLS side before a back injury led to his retirement in January 2022.

It means he narrowly missed out on playing with Lionel Messi after the Argentine icon joined the club just 18 months later.

Ryan Shawcross joined Inter Miami but did not play with Lionel MessiGetty

Erik Pieters

Dutch defender Erik Pieters left Stoke in 2019 and signed for Burnley.

In 2022, he joined West Brom where he played 36 times in the Championship last season.

He was released 12 months ago and is still a free agent.

Erik Pieters has been a free agent for nearly a yearGetty

Giannelli Imbula

Midfielder Giannelli Imbula finally left Stoke in 2020 after numerous loan spells with the likes of Toulouse, Rayo Vallecano and Lecce.

He has gone on to play for Russian side Sochi, Portuguese club Portimonense, and Turkish sides Tuzlaspor and Istanbulspor.

Gianelli Imbula has bounced around a number of leagues since being at StokeGetty

Glenn Whelan

Glenn Whelan enjoyed nine years at Stoke, departing in 2017 for Aston Villa.

Spells at Hearts, Fleetwood and Manchester-based non-league club Wythenshawe Amateurs were followed by a two-year stint at Bristol Rovers.

He clinched promotion to League One with Rovers in 2022 and also held a coaching role at the club, before he left last December following Matt Taylor’s appointment as manager.

Glenn Whelan has turned his hand to coaching since hanging up his bootsGetty

Jonathan Walters

Jonathan Walters scored 62 goals in 271 games for Stoke, leaving in 2017 for a two-year stint at Burnley and loan spell at Ipswich.

Retiring in 2019, the Irish striker has since gone on to reignite a feud with Manchester United legend Roy Keane – which originated from a bitter row when Keane was assistant coach for the national team in 2018.

Keane has accused Walters of “crying about his family situation” while playing for his country, before the ex-Stoke man hit back by labelling the ex-Red Devils man’s behaviour “ridiculous”.

Jonathan Walters led the line for Stoke for seven yearsGetty

Roy Keane has had a public spat with Walters over recent yearsGetty – Contributor

Bojan Krkic

Bojan Krkic, often known simply as “Bojan”, had a bizarre career that began at Barcelona where he was a part of Pep Guardiola‘s legendary side, linking up with Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and a host of others.

After three LaLiga titles and two Champions League trophies, he ended up at Stoke in 2014 and spent five years there.

Bojan finished his career with stints at Canadian side Montreal Impact and Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe – where he reunited with Iniesta.

He retired in March last year and is now a football co-ordinator at Barcelona, helping to bring through young talent in their La Masia academy.

Bojan Krkic won a host of trophies at Barcelona before joining StokeAFP

He retired last year after a thoroughly successful 16-year professional careerGetty

Marko Arnautovic

Marko Arnautovic scored just 26 goals in 145 games for Stoke, but enjoyed a more fruitful time at West Ham when he joined them in 2017.

Two seasons with the Hammers brought 22 goals, before he left to sign for Chinese club Shanghai Port.

He returned to Europe with Bologna in 2021, before he embarked on a second stint with Inter Milan in August last year, signing on loan.

And he has gone on to clinch the Serie A title, scoring two league goals in the process.

Marko Arnautovic lifted the Serie A title this season with Inter MilanGetty