Ki-Jana Hoever: Stoke City full-back grateful for trust after further goal
- Published
Ki-Jana Hoever fires the equaliser through the legs of Middlesbrough keeper Zack Steffen
Stoke full-back Ki-Jana Hoever thanked the club for showing trust in him since arriving on loan after scoring his third goal in two games.
The 21-year-old Dutchman followed up his double against Blackburn with another as they drew at Middlesbrough.
The Potters have taken seven points out of nine this month but remain 14th in the Championship table.
"I'm really happy with the goal and we are improving every game, so that's good," he told BBC Radio Stoke.
"In general, from the moment I came here, I felt a lot of trust from the manager, the staff and the players - the whole club basically.
"For me, every game my confidence grows. There are still some details we need to work on as a team because we can be better, but everybody is doing their job and I am enjoying it every week."
Hoever began his career at Liverpool, making four appearances in cup competitions before moving to Wolves in 2020 as part of the deal which took Diogo Jota to Anfield.
He has played 20 Premier League games for the Molineux club but spent the first half of this season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, before joining up with Stoke in the January transfer window.
About 600 Potters fans made the trip to Teesside on Tuesday and Hoever added: "They made me feel at home when I made my debut and they support me and shout my name, I really appreciate it."
Stoke boss Alex Neil said Hoever was a key "outlet" for his side from the middle of the pitch because of his athleticism and ability to get down the flank.
"He has great legs, great quality and we're really happy with where he is at the moment, he's progressing great," he continued.
Play-off hopefuls Norwich are the next assignment for Neil's in-form side on Saturday.
"I've been saying it for weeks, we fancy our chances against anybody in the division because on our day, we're as good as anybody," Neil added.
"I am an eternal optimist. I can see where we're going - for me, it's really quite clear, so I just hope other people can start to see it."