New Stoke winger Xherdan Shaqiri has shrugged off the accusation his key motivation in joining the club was money.

Ex-Bayern Munich man Shaqiri completed his switch from Inter Milan to Stoke on Tuesday for a club-record £12million on a five-year contract.

The news has prompted criticism from former Bayern and Germany midfielder Stefan Effenberg, who was quoted as saying: “I do not understand Shaqiri’s move to Stoke at all. You have been badly advised if you go there.

“This is a shame and a sad state of affairs. Only because they are throwing around cash? Is it really all about money for footballers these days?”

When asked about that on Thursday at his unveiling at the Britannia Stadium, Shaqiri – who was also linked with Schalke and Borussia Dortmund – said of Effenberg: “He has no job at the moment, so he can talk – he’s a free man.

“Anybody can talk who is free. But I don’t want to comment on this.

“I will concentrate on my job – I’m happy to be here and I can’t wait to play. This is my job. It isn’t my job to comment on what people say.”

The 23-year-old Switzerland international added: “I want to do my speaking on the pitch.”

Shaqiri has already spoken about how the belief shown in him by Stoke boss Mark Hughes, the playing style of the team and the quality of the players at the club were all important factors in his decision to make what he views as a “perfect move” for him.

SEE MORE: Xherdan Shaqiri continues the Stoke City revolution.

On Thursday, he also stressed he was fit and ready to make his debut from the start in Saturday’s Barclays Premier League game at Tottenham if required – Hughes would only say “we’ll see” on that front – and backed himself to adapt to English football quickly.

Shaqiri said: “This is very different to Italian football.

“But I am a player who can integrate very fast and I think English football is perfect for me – it is very attacking, from box-to-box.

“For a player like me, I think it is the best league to play in, and for me this is the best league in the world.

“It was always a big dream of mine to play in the Premier League.”

Shaqiri, who only joined Inter in January, found himself out of their starting XI by the end of the 2014-15 season.

And regarding his brief stint with the Italian outfit, where he was managed by former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, he said: “There were many things that were not good there.

“I’m happy it was only a short time there and now I’m happy to be here.”

He has left Inter for a club who have finished ninth in the Premier League for the last two seasons under Hughes.

And asked if he saw Europe as a realistic target for Stoke this term, Shaqiri said: “In the Premier League you never know.

“The last team can beat the first team, and only one round of games has gone, so anything can happen.

“We must work hard and take it game by game. But all teams want to go forward and Stoke want to be in Europe in the future.”

Meanwhile, Hughes has reported Stoke’s medical team were “very happy” with the back surgery Potters captain Ryan Shawcross underwent this week that is likely to keep him out for between two and three months.

SEE MORE: Read Stoke City’s 2015/16 team preview.

“I spoke to the medical guys and they were very happy with how the operation went,” Hughes said.

“I think it was always going to be six, eight, 10, 12 weeks possibly – it is very difficult to put a precise time-frame on it.

“The pain was impacting on Ryan’s ability to play, so it needed to be done and that has now been resolved we feel.

“We don’t anticipate there will be any setbacks, but you never know.”

Stoke will also be without Bojan at Spurs, with the Spaniard not yet ready to make his first-team return after his long-term knee injury, while fellow forward Peter Odemwingie is a doubt with a hamstring problem.

Another forward, Marko Arnautovic (thigh), and defender Marc Wilson (ankle) are expected to be fit.