On 29 July 2015 Stoke announced that Wilkinson had signed a short-term contract with the club in order to help him recover from a serious head injury he sustained playing against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup. Wilkinson later revealed his injury had caused some damage to his brain. Wilkinson announced his retirement from football in February 2016.
Stoke City signed Wilkinson on a short-term contract to aid his recovery from a serious head injury sustained during an FA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers, which led to him retiring from football in February 2016.