The 23-year-old — who moved to Stoke from Premier League rivals West Brom in the January transfer window for £12million ($15 million, 13.9 million euros) — claimed his drink was spiked at a night club.
«To be banned for something you really haven’t done is hard to take,» the former England Under-21 international told the BBC adding the level of the drug in his body was so low it proved he hadn’t intentionally taken it.
«You go on a night out, you don’t know who you are around and there are people who are out to get you.
«Of course, I was in a nightclub, so I hold my hand up for being irresponsible.
«From then on it all crashed down. To this day, I still cannot understand who would want to do that to me.»
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