Stoke best place for me to take step up - Graham

New Stoke City defender Luke Graham says his move to the club is a definite step up and the "perfect place" to make him a better player.

The 22-year-old arrived at the Potters at the start of the month from Scottish Premiership side Dundee, where he came through the youth set-up.

Graham won both the players' player and young player of the year awards at Dens Park last season in a breakthrough campaign that featured 41 appearances in all competitions.

"This feels like the next logical step," Graham told BBC Radio Stoke, having had time to settle in during pre-season.

"Working with the coaching staff on the pitch every day, it's only going to make me a better player."

Despite finishing an ultimately disappointing 17th last season, Stoke had one of the best defences in the second tier - conceding just 56 goals - with only the top four teams letting in fewer.

And Graham said that shows he is in the right place to improve.

"Coaching aside, the players you've got in the defensive areas are top, top players and you know there's real good competition at the back to try to get in the team every week," the Scot added.

"I think that's what edges you to give that extra 10% in training, because of that competition. It's no surprise why that defence did so well last season.

"I've played in every division in Scotland so that next step was coming here and playing in the Championship and trying to take my game to the next level.

"I think this is a perfect place to do that."