2012, Whelan made his 37th international appearance for the Republic of Ireland, with all of his caps coming whilst at Stoke he surpassed Gordon Banks' record becoming Stoke's most capped player. In the summer of 2012, Stoke signed midfielders Charlie Adam and Steven Nzonzi and Whelan's place in the side came under threat but he 'lifted his game' and retained his place for 2012–13 season. He avoided a ban after a 'two footed' tacked on Manchester City's Javi García in the FA Cup. Whelan played 34 times in 2012–13 as Stoke finished in 13th position. He ended the season on a sour note as he was involved in a dressing room bust-up with Kenwyne Jones. At the end of the 2012–13 season Tony Pulis was replaced by Mark Hughes and Whelan stated that he hopes the change in style of play will help the team score more goals. Whelan initially had to fight for his place under Hughes at the start of the 2013–14 season but he soon became a regular in the side again. Whelan became a vital member of the team under Hughes and he made 36 appearances as Stoke finished in 9th position. Whelan described the 2013–14 season as his best for the club. Whelan retained his place in the side at the start of the 2014–15 season before he was ruled out of six weeks suffered a fractured leg whilst on international duty with Ireland in October 2014. He returned to the side in December 2014 after successfully recovering from his injury. Whelan signed a two-year contract extension in January 2015. In February 2015, Following an injury to captain Ryan Shawcross, Whelan acted as stand-in captain and after a woeful 4–1 defeat against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup Whelan had a dressing room rant at his teammates. Whelan played 30 times for Stoke in 2014–15 as the Potters finished in 9th position for a second season running and they ended the campaign with a 6–1 victory against Liverpool. His performances during the campaign earn him the praise of teammates Adam and Shawcross who both described Whelan as the teams 'unsung-hero'. Whelan was again a key figure under Hughes in 2015–16, making 42 appearances as Stoke again finished in 9th position. He also filled in as stand-in captain during the season due to injury to Ryan Shawcross. He made his 300th appearance for Stoke on 12