Yahoo News Stoke City after the whistle: exits, key arrivals and significant investment as big summer looms
It is probably best to start a summary of what has happened since the end of Stoke City's season by going back to a couple of weeks before the final whistle.
Stoke were still in the thick of a relegation dogfight in mid-April, especially when they fell a goal down to a pepped up Sheffield Wednesday side, their rivals at the wrong end of the table, at Hillsborough. It turned out to be a pivotal moment when Luke Cundle was thrown off the bench in the 74th minute.
Cundle scored a vital equaliser a couple of minutes later when he slipped onto a pass from Tyrese Campbell, Stoke kept a crucial buffer between themselves and the bottom three and they didn't let up. There was tension and high stakes going into a home match against Steven Schumacher's old club Plymouth Argyle - who brought a sell-out away following - but Stoke played with intensity and skill, and a quickfire double just before half time from Ki-Jana Hoever and Million Manhoef set the Potters on the way to a huge 3-0 win.
That result took Stoke up to 50 points and, so people kept telling Schumacher, safety. The manager wasn't having it, saying: “We felt 50 points was a milestone we needed to get to. That was the target we set but the way that games have gone and results for teams down the bottom, we know it's not done."
Indeed. It turned out that Birmingham would be relegated with 50 points. So it was a massive win for status as well as confidence when Stoke went to Southampton and Tyrese Campbell got the only goal of the game, with Schumacher keeping the same starting XI that had dismantled Plymouth. It was the same side the following Saturday too, back at the bet365 Stadium against Bristol City, this time winning 4-0. Goals came from Cundle, Campbell and a Manhoef double.
It was telling that, without a major sales drive, the attendance for that game was 28,243. Supporters seemed to have been stirred by what had been happening in the previous couple of months and particularly the previous couple of weeks.
Schumacher later told the Sentinel: "It was a big attendance that day and it’s something we want to try to grow and keep the atmosphere going in that stadium. The stadium is so powerful. The noise when you’re there and when it gets going, we can use that to our advantage – but I’ve got to put a team out there that the fans can recognise and get behind and enjoy coming to watch. It’s my job to try to do that. And if we get the performances right then the results will come and when the results come, the people will come - it just goes hand in hand and that’s what we want.
"It’s so important to have a good home atmosphere and a good confidence that you're going into games at home and you're going to win. It’s the bedrock to any team who has any sort of success. That’s what we’ll try to get as we move forward next year.
"From the QPR game onwards our home record was actually all right. We only lost four games at home actually since I came in; Coventry, Norwich, Leicester, who won the league, and Birmingham, when we shouldn’t have lost. Our record at home wasn’t too bad but it’s obviously something that can definitely get better."
So now we have set the scene for the last weekend - but as players packed their suitcases for holidays, Schumacher, sporting director Jon Walters and chairman John Coates were gearing up for a big old summer.
Tyrese Campbell among senior players released
It was announced on the Sunday that Tyrese Campbell was leaving Stoke after eight years at the club. The 24-year-old striker is coming to the end of his contract and heading for a fresh start on a high, receiving a standing ovation after scoring in that 4-0 win over Bristol City.
It was also confirmed that Jordan Thompson has had a 12-month extension to his current contract triggered, Frankie Fielding was having his deal extended and a new offer was on the table for Enda Stevens. There were no surprises that centre-back Ciaran Clark and striker Wesley were moving on.
Schumacher explained: “It was a really difficult decision for a few reasons as well because good centre-forwards are really hard to come by. I understand that, so difficult, especially someone with Tyrese’s attributes and what he’s got. He’s got something that not many in the division have with his electric speed when he’s in full flow. In the last three or four games that Tyrese played he showed the qualities that he’s capable of and the ability that he’s got.
“But the reason that we decided on doing what we were doing is that I think Tyrese has been here for a long time and has shown in glimpses over the years the potential that he’s got but probably hasn’t hit the heights of what his potential could be.
“For us, it was probably the idea to go and have a fresh start but also for Tyrese because you know he needs to go somewhere where he can play every week, play in a system that suits him every week and have a fresh start where he can maybe fulfil some of that potential that he’s shown. So yeah, it was a tough decision but it was done with the best intentions for all parties. Hopefully it works out for everybody.”
Loan players go back to parent clubs
Four players who had started the final three games - Daniel Iversen, Ki-Jana Hoever, Luke McNally and Luke Cundle - plus Sead Haksabanovic, returned to their parent clubs.
Schumacher said: “The loan players have done brilliantly. They've been excellent and I'll thank them for their efforts and if I ever have the chance to work with them again I would because they're all good lads, all honest, all try their best and have been brilliant since I've been here.
“Ki-Jana in the last two months has shown the quality he's got. Daniel made a brilliant save today at 1-0 and the game could have been different. Luke Cundle has shown in the last month or two how good of a player he is when he has got people who will pass the ball to him Luke McNally all season I think has been really consistent. I'm really pleased for all four of them and I'd love to work with them again.”
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Backroom departure confirmed
Nick Meace confirmed that he was leaving after four years as Stoke's first team physio.
He wrote in a message on social media: "This year marks 10 years working in professional football and the past four years have been spent working at Stoke City Football Club, my time here has now come to an end.
"I’ve worked with some exceptional talents throughout my career at the highest level, from professional athletes representing their country, to leading medical professionals at the top of their careers. I’m thankful to everyone that’s been a part of my journey thus far.
"Today marks the start of a new chapter for myself. I’m excited to see what opportunities are ahead. For now, I’m spending some quality time with my family. I am open to embark on new challenges as I look to progress my career, please reach out to network and connect"
First pro deal for Jaden Dixon
A call up to England for the under-17s European Championships and a first professional contract signed and sealed for Jaden Dixon, the highly-rated defender who Stoke had signed from Tottenham in 2023.
“It’s an amazing feeling to have agreed a professional contract at Stoke City,” said Dixon. “I have enjoyed my time here so far and I’m continuing to progress. I feel loved and wanted here and I’ve been shown a clear pathway.
“Teammates and staff have shown how much they believe in me and that has given me the confidence to perform and improve this season, as well as giving me a real determination to continue progressing in the years to come.”
Stoke hit with £24,000 fine after skirmish vs Plymouth
A quite surreal update dropped on May 16 about an incident that almost everyone will have forgotten about during the Plymouth game. Stoke were fined £24,000 and Plymouth fined £5,000 after a bit of short-lived drama in the first half of their high stakes match back in April.
A confrontation was sparked by a coming together of Manhoef and Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper, which resulted in Hoever and Campbell being booked for the hosts and Cooper and Bali Mumba for the visitors.
The FA relied upon the report of referee Robert Madley and video clips of the incident and the commission was especially critical of Hoever’s role, condemning the full back for running ‘from almost the halfway line to deliver a forceful two-handed shove to an opponent which inflamed the confrontation even further. It was mindless aggression and totally not necessary.’
A hyperbolic judgement slammed the "utterly dreadful record that SCFC have for offences of this type", having had five incidents over the previous five seasons, including an FA Youth Cup tie in their apparent list of shame.
But the killer line from the commission picked out by supporters was one suggesting that the hype surrounding Schumacher vs his old club and that face that it was two rivals in the thick of a relegation battle was no mitigation for playing with passion and aggression.
"Do these people know anything about the game of football at all!!?" said one fan. "Ridiculous comments," said another. "Handbags and nothing more."
"Yet in a Premier League 'top six' game, refs are applauded for showing leniency because "they know how pressurised the game is'," said... you get the picture.
The feedback suggested a consensus that they would happily chip in to pay 46 fines of this nature next season.
Viktor Johansson becomes first summer signing
Stoke hadn't signed a senior keeper on a permanent deal to be thrown straight in as number one since the summer of 2008 when Thomas Sorensen arrived as a free agent. Asmir Begovic and Jack Butland both had to fight their way to the top of the pecking order, although that is the ideal way to do it.
But a relegation release clause of about £1 million was triggered to bring in Viktor Johansson, aged 25, from Rotherham United, where he had been establishing himself as one of the leading goalkeepers in the Championship.
Johansson told the Sentinel: “People look at me and might think I’m not the biggest but I would say I command my area pretty well. I’m brave, I scrap. I just love getting hit or hitting someone. It’s a contact sport, there should be contact. And I like shot stopping too.”
Johansson, who had flew in and out of England to sign his forms on the day his partner was due to have their first baby, has since been called up for the Sweden senior squad.
Tom Edwards and D'Margio Wright-Phillips leave the club
Rookie keeper Blondy Nna Noukeu, right-back Tom Edwards, forward D'Margio Wright-Phillips and midfielder Tom Sparrow have been released, it was confirmed in the full retained list, as well as under-21s players Ben Kershaw, Kahrel Reddin, Sonny Singh, Tom Curl and Ian Kamga,
Stoke have offered new contracts to centre-back pair Matthew Baker, aged 21, and David Okagbue, aged 20, who have just reported back from League Two loans with Newport County and Walsall respectively. Playmaker Jack Griffiths, aged 18, is also in talks about a new deal.
There are first pro contracts on the table in the under-18s age group for Dean Adekoya, Josh Bickerton, Jake Griffin, Christy Grogan, Jaden Mears and Will Smith while Adam Watson, the New Zealand youth striker and son of former long-serving physio Dave Watson, has been given the chance to extend his scholarship into a third year.
Jared Dublin ends brief but dramatic stay as head of recruitment
It is fair to say that Jared Dublin had a pretty dramatic 11 months in office at Clayton Wood, with his appointment coming at a time when the squad was being overhauled, the club had escaped the worst constraints of a three-year rolling Financial Fair Play cycle and work permit rules were changing to make signings from overseas suddenly feasible for Championship clubs.
There were 24 arrivals in all, of whom four were free agents and 12 cost a transfer fee, 16 were from British clubs and eight from abroad. Seven were on loan and five had previously played for either Alex Neil or Steven Schumacher.
It is also fair to say that Dublin was a little bit of a maverick and Stoke wanted an experienced team player who could help try to build a squad that will ultimately challenge to get back into the Premier League.
We looked back at the Dublin departure in more depth here.
Shawcross, Sidibe and Bardsley help Stoke see off Barcelona
This snippet isn't for the first team but a lovely story and a great picture of Stoke's under-11s - including sons of some famous dads - having a brilliant time at the Meyrin Cup in Switzerland.
Financial Fair Play rules relaxed a little
There has been a slight tweak to the EFL's Financial Fair Play rules for this summer, voted in by clubs in their annual summer get together.
Stoke and rivals in the Championship will now be allowed to post losses of up to £41.5 million over a rolling three-year period rather than £39m. Spending on things like infrastructure and the academy doesn't count towards FFP, which gives Stoke the chance to invest in the new fan zone and safe standing.
It has brought in to match inflation and a general rise in the cost of living and will initially be in place for a single season to start with. No one can be quite sure what the long-term future is for financial fair play beyond that and how it might be affected by decisions made at Premier League level about redistribition or Government level regarding the introduction of an independent regulator.
It's a small little bonus for Stoke, who have billionaire owners desperate to invest as much as possible.
First South Korea senior call up for Bae Junho
Bae Junho has been called up for the the South Korea senior team for the first time.
The 20-year-old Stoke City playmaker is one of seven first timers named in the squad for upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Singapore and China, alongside Spurs captain Heung-min Son.
It continues a remarkable 12 months for Junho, who starred at the under-20s World Cup, made a cross-continental move to Stoke and was ultimately named player of the year as he helped the side stay in the Championship.
Enda Stevens agrees contract extension
Steven Schumacher pointed to Enda Stevens’ influence on and off the pitch after extending the left-back’s contract.
Stevens, aged 33, has signed up for another 12 months at Stoke City after recovering from injury to play a significant role in a sprint finish to safety. There are hopes that Stevens can stay fit to be involved more next season and, with his promotion-winning experience at Portsmouth and Sheffield United, he can bring something else to the party too.
“I thought Enda was outstanding in the last eight games,” said Schumacher, in part of an extensive close-season interview with the Sentinel. “He hadn’t been able to play from when we got here up until that point. He trained a couple of weeks here and there with the team but was never at the fitness level. He picked up injuries in his recovery and it wasn't until just before the Hull game that he played his first reserve game.
"He played an under-21s game behind closed doors during the international break. I watched the 45 minutes or whatever that he played and you could see the quality that he's obviously got. I've seen it in training, but to see it in a in a game situation is different.
"Then we made the decision going into the Hull game to start him and it was a tough call because he was up against one of the best players in the division in Jaden Philogene, certainly one of the best wingers. We'd had a couple of injury issues as well but to throw him in was a risk. But the way he performed in that game, it was like, ‘Wow, what a good footballer he is.’ And if you can do that after only one 45 minutes, that gives us confidence.
“He didn't play in the Easter Monday game because it would have been too fast. But after that, when he was asked to play he was outstanding and he was excellent. His experience, his quality and the way he is in the dressing room, nice and calm."
Wouter Burger singing Delilah
We mentioned that players had packed their suitcases for a close-season break. Well, here's Wouter Burger singing Delilah in Italy.
Stoke launch new home strip
Here is the new Stoke City kit for 2024/25, released a few days ahead of schedule. Stoke have released images for the new Macron design for next season, which was intended to come out the following Saturday but has been brought forward after images were leaked on social media and the Oatcake supporter message board.
The club held its photo shoot at Gladstone Pottery Museum and the shirt features a patterned bottle kiln within its red stripes. There is also a stylised black kiln below the collar on the back.
Supporters might spot inspiration from the top worn by Lou Macari's promotion-winning side in 1993, with a black trim on the neck and sleeves while the badge has been shifted over to the centre of the chest.
Tommy Simkin completes youth hat-trick
Stoke City keeper Tommy Simkin has been named in the new England Elite League squad, which was formerly known as the under-20s.
The 19-year-old made his first team debut at Stoke over the winter, having been called back from a successful loan at Solihull Moors in the National League due to an injury crisis. There are understood to be clubs hoping to take him on loan next season too as part of the next stage of his development, particularly after Stoke made Viktor Johansson their first summer signing.
It completes a summer hat-trick for Stoke's academy as defender Jaden Dixon is in the England squad for the under-17s European Championships and midfielder Sol Sidibe has this week made his debut for England under-18s. Johansson, meanwhile, has been called up for Sweden's senior squad.
Well done to Matty Baker too, who has been included in the senior Wales squad.
Lee Darnbrough appointed new head of recruitment
Lee Darnbrough is the new head of recruitment at Stoke City. The 46-year-old is ending a seven-year stay at Championship rivals Hull to take up a key role at Clayton Wood, where he will replace Jared Dublin at the start of another pivotal summer transfer window.
He will work alongside sporting director Jon Walters, head coach Steven Schumacher and recruitment analysts Scott Coomber and Mama Sidibe to try to haul the club back up towards the Premier League.
Stoke had been keen to bring in an experienced figure for an important job and Darnbrough ticks that box, having also previously worked at West Bromwich Albion, Burnley and Norwich City. He has also studied sports directorship at Manchester Met, graduating with distinction.
Walters said: “We’re thrilled to have Lee on board. Bringing over 20 years of experience in the football industry and being well versed in Championship football, Lee will be able to hit the ground running at Stoke City as we prepare for the upcoming summer transfer window and beyond.
“His extensive network and knowledge of both the domestic and international markets will make him a valuable asset as we build our squad for the future.”
We got an insight from Hull too about what to expect from a new big figure behind the scenes.
Stoke get permission for major training ground project
Stoke have been given the green light to carry out one of the biggest off-field projects in the club’s history with the building of a £10m to £12m training facility.
The club is hoping to start work in September for a state of the art two-storey building at Clayton Wood, which in turn will see the current building renovated exclusively for the academy and women’s teams. Planning permission has been granted by Newcastle Borough Council and Stoke are now in talks with four building contractors about taking the scheme on.
The work is expected to take 12 months and is part of a five-year £30m investment plan in infrastructure at the training ground and bet365 Stadium – spending which does not count in calculations about Financial Fair Play.
You can read about that story in depth here.
Major work at the stadium
Work has also started at the bet365 Stadium to install a licensed standing area in the south stand and build a 1,500 capacity fan zone behind the Boothen End.
A busy close season - and pre-season confirmed
So it's been a pretty busy close season all in all. And that is all without mentioning all the gossip and deals still to come, which we've tried to sum up here.
And now pre-season details have been confirmed, including a training week in Cork in July.
Key dates in pre-season
Wednesday, June 26: Fixture release date (9am)
Monday, July 1: Players return to Clayton Wood for pre-season training
Thursday, July 11: Chester FC vs Stoke City (7.45pm kick-off)
Saturday, July 13 to Friday, July 19: First team training camp in Cork
Wednesday, July 17: Cork City vs Stoke City (kick-off time TBC)
Tuesday, July 23: Crewe Alexandra v Stoke City (7.30pm kick-off)
Saturday, July 27: Stockport County vs Stoke City (2pm kick-off*)
Tuesday, July 30: Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City (7.30pm kick-off)
Weekend of August 3: TBC fixture
Saturday, August 10: EFL Championship
