Ryan Shawcross admits he is surprised Chelsea allowed Kurt Zouma to go out on loan this season, but is happy the centre-back is at Stoke City - hailing the Frenchman as the "ultimate defender".
Zouma, 23, is spending the 2017-18 campaign with the Potters after Chelsea boss Antonio Conte identified the need for the defender to gain regular playing time.
Zouma, who signed a new six-year deal at Chelsea in July before moving on loan to Stoke, made just three Premier League starts under Conte last term because of the Italian's preference to have David Luiz, Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta play in his three-man defence.
The move to Stoke is paying off for Zouma, however, with the Frenchman having played every minute of the Potters' 11 Premier League games except for the clash against his parent club.
And Shawcross has praised the defender's impact at Stoke while expressing surprise that Chelsea did not want to keep him this season to bolster their options at the back.
He said: "I wasn’t surprised we got him because obviously we’ve got a good link with Chelsea, but I was surprised they let him go just because they’ve not had the greatest starts and I really do think he’s going to turn out to be one of the top centre halves in the country.
"For them to let him go to us is fantastic for us, but surprising.
"He’s quick, he can jump really high, he can pass the ball, he can shoot, he doesn’t get beat one-v-one. He’s like the ultimate defender.
In Pictures | Stoke City vs Chelsea | 23/09/2017
"I think him and (Toby) Alderweireld are the top two centre halves in the country at the moment."
Shawcross added: "I think Kurt has done brilliantly. He’s played a lot of games previously and it’s a great test for him to come here.
"He’s experienced things he probably hasn’t done at Chelsea, tough losses. I don’t think he will ever get beat by seven goals at Chelsea, so it’s difficult, but it’s good for his character and experience as a footballer."
