Stoke City boss Mark Hughes has revealed that he is reluctant to let Peter Crouch leave the Premier League side next month.

Crouch, 34, has only made three league appearances for the Potters this season and is said to be keen on a departure when the January transfer window opens.

Hughes has said that he understands Crouch's unhappiness, but has insisted that he wants to keep the former England striker at the Britannia.

"He won't go out of choice on my part. I would be loathed to let him go because he's a big part of what we do here and for what he brings to the dressing room," Sky Sports News quotes Hughes as saying.

"He is frustrated at lack of game time and I understand that. Peter is unique in terms of what he offers and I can understand why other teams would want him."

Crouch joined Stoke from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2011 and has hit double figures in three of his four seasons with the club.