Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has quelled suggestions that he could walk away from the club at the end of the season.
It had been suggested that Pulis would depart the Britannia after becoming frustrated with a lack of progress, but the Potters manager has rejected such claims.
"On transfer fees and money spent on the first team, nobody can question the Coates family on the amount of money they have invested in this football club," Pulis told Sky Sports News.
"Anybody who says anything else is being disrespectful to a family that should be held in high esteem. As I have said before, my relationship with Peter is not just a football relationship, but a personal relationship as well. I class him as a friend, and I mean a friend."
Stoke currently sit 11th in the Premier League table.
