Republic of Ireland defender Marc Wilson has expressed his delight that international team-mate Jon Walters will be remaining a colleague at club level with Stoke after a transfer deadline day move away from the Britannia Stadium failed to materialise.

Walters had been strongly linked with a number of clubs, including Norwich and Leicester, but will continue to ply his trade at the club he joined from Ipswich in 2010.

The 31-year-old was training with the Republic of Ireland squad in Dublin on Wednesday morning ahead of the upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia, perhaps to the disappointment of Canaries Robbie Brady and Wes Hoolahan, but to the relief of fellow Wilson.

"He's a great lad and a big part of the Stoke team and the dressing room, so I'm glad he's still a Stoke player, anyway,” Wilson said.

"I was sending him a few text messages just to see how he was getting on, but obviously Stoke couldn't see eye-to-eye with any other clubs to get someone in to replace him, so it looks like Jon's a Stoke player for the rest of the year.

"He seems fine. I think he was just trying to look out for his own future. He's getting on a bit now and I think he was just trying to secure his own future for his family, so I don't see anything wrong with that.

"But he's a smashing guy to have around the place. In the dressing room, on the pitch, you know you are going to get 100% with his attitude, determination - and he scores goals, so he's a great guy to have around.

"He's a big part of the Irish dressing room as well, a great character. All the things I said before, I could say them a million times.

"That's Jon Walters in a nutshell. He's a great guy to have in the camp."

Meanwhile, Stephen Quinn has admitted he will be keeping an eye on Reading team-mate Michael Hector, who spent a brief loan spell with Dundalk in 2011, after the youngster was thrust into the headlines on deadline day.

The 23-year-old defender was at the centre of one of Tuesday's more interesting moves when he signed a five-year deal with Barclays Premier League champions Chelsea before being loaned back to the Royals for the remainder of this season.

Midfielder Quinn was on duty with his country as the deal went through, and he was quick to wish Hector the best of luck for what may lie ahead.

He said: "It's a great move for Michael. I think he's been loaned back to us as well, which is good for our squad.

"But it's a really good move for him, at such a young age as well, to go to Chelsea, a massive club like that, and I'm sure he'll do all right. Good luck to him."

Asked how good a player the Jamaica international is, Quinn admitted: "I haven't seen too much of him. Paul (McShane) has been playing in the team, andAnton Ferdinand - and he hasn't really got that much game time, so I haven't really seen too much of Michael.

"But we'll see how he develops over the next year or so."