The powerful forward came off the bench to head home with seconds remaining to give the Potters a dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa in what was their first win in the top flight for 23 years.

Sidibe's header from a Rory Delap long throw was even more poignant for Pulis after he helped the player's rehabilitation following a horrific incident while the player was on international duty with Mali. In October 2007 he was beaten and stabbed by a spectator during an African Nations Cup qualifier against Togo.

"Mamady nearly got killed less than a year ago and almost lost his life. He still has the scars on his hands to show that and it obviously affected him," Pulis said.

"He was in a terrible state when he came back over to us after the game against Togo and there were issues about whether he would even play for his county again but he has come over that.

"So I was pleased he scored - Mamady is a great player and works very hard and you bring him on with 20 minutes to go he can be a real handful and he was against Villa. It is not just about goals with him. It's what he contributes around the team that gets him picked. He is such a big lad but such a lovely kid from a great family - he is a real gem of a player."