Ben Gibson admits he will be forever indebted to Norwich City and Norfolk for football and family reasons, ahead of Saturday’s first Championship reunion with Stoke City.

The centre back signed a three year deal with the Potters after being released by the Canaries at the end of last season.

Gibson’s four years at Carrow Road brought a title winner’s medal and Premier League promotion following an unhappy spell on the fringes at Burnley.

But the family man’s two children were also born in Norfolk, with his daughter Mylie, born prematurely last Christmas.

“It was a tricky time. I was running my contract down at Norwich and I knew I needed to stay fit and play games,” he said. “As you get older the season you don’t play is held against you. In modern football some don’t see a 31 or 32 year old centre back as in their peak.

“I will be forever grateful to the staff at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital intensive care unit. Both of our children were whisked off to intensive care. They saved both of them. I am so blessed.

"Norwich were brilliant as a club. The manager, David Wagner, I will never forget said there was no pressure on me and to take all the time you need. The pressure I put on was myself to get back because I knew what I needed to do. I had to play to get a long term contract, three years, otherwise you are looking at a one year deal. That is just the reality of football now.

“You are, and some people won’t want to hear this, a piece of meat and when your sell by date is up you are off the shelf. Because the game is improving all the time, physically and athletically, players are getting younger and younger.

“Maybe it was also a little escape for me as well to get on the pitch because it was the only time I wasn’t thinking about the family. But Norwich were brilliant for me. From top to bottom. Every member of staff.

"They were bringing food to the hospital, they were making cakes for every member of staff at the unit, cakes for me to take in on Christmas Day, I think that was the chef at Norwich, they were amazing.

“Now my little girl is happy and healthy. It is super, super positive. Bar a two year spell (at Burnley) my career has been really positive. What I can control, I have no regrets. As you get older you have to prove people wrong.”

Gibson resurrected his career under Daniel Farke during a hugely successful season long loan that brought a Championship title and permanent move from Burnley.  

“Going to Norwich was starting all over again,” he said, speaking to the Potters’ official podcast. “It was lingering over me that it was only a loan, unless we got promoted, so I could be back at Burnley in a year, which I obviously didn’t want. I needed us to get promoted.

“When I walked through the door for the first time it was unbelievable. The aim was clear to get back in the Premier League. We had a fantastic year, I think we won the league with 97 points. Just an amazing year. It felt like we were smiling and playing and enjoying our football, and everything went perfectly.”