Irish national team. In December 2008 Whelan was being linked with a move away from the Britannia Stadium but he revealed that he wanted to stay. Whelan did manage to force his way back into the first team and he became an important player in Stoke's successful fight for survival. Whelan scored a last minute equaliser away against Aston Villa on 1 March. Whelan signed a new four-year contract with Stoke on 15 September 2009. He scored his first goal of the 2009–10 season against Tottenham Hotspur which earned Stoke a 1–0 victory. He also went on to score against Manchester City in a 1–1 draw with Whelan beating fellow Irish international Shay Given. Arsenal player Aaron Ramsey praised Whelan for his support after Ramsey's suffered a leg break in a match between Stoke and Arsenal. He made his 100th appearance for Stoke in a 2–0 win over Everton on 1 January 2011. After drifting in and out the starting eleven for most of the 2010–11 season Whelan made a return in March and played a key role in Stoke's run to their first FA Cup Final. Whelan reached a century of league appearances for the club on 8 May 2011 against Arsenal. Whelan played in the 2011 FA Cup Final as Stoke lost 1–0 to his old club Manchester City. Whelan scored a rare goal for Stoke against FC Thun in the UEFA Europa League in August 2011. In a match against Bolton Wanderers referee Howard Webb awarded an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area for a back-pass against Whelan after two minutes. Kevin Davies scored from the quickly-taken restart to put Bolton ahead. Stoke chairman Peter Coates criticised Webb's controversial decision to penalise Whelan. He scored his first league goal for more than 18 months against Blackburn Rovers in November 2011. In January 2012, manager Tony Pulis confirmed that he wanted Whelan to sign a new contract stating "Every time you ask Glenn to step up to that next level, he does it. He's a good lad, very single-minded. He's got that Celtic blood in him and the determination to prove people wrong – including myself at times". Whelan signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract on 11 January 2012 and said "I am loving life at the moment and things are going really well, so I am absolutely delighted to commit my long-term future to the club". In March