Stoke City

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Stoke City have revealed that their fixtures for the 2024/25 Championship season will be released on Wednesday, 26 June at 09:00 GMT.

The Potters will kick off their new campaign on the weekend of 10/11 August, where they will be hoping to pick up where they left off at the end of last term.

The Bet365 Stadium will also see home fans located behind both goals and either side of the tunnel for the first time thanks to the new plans submitted by the club's Chief Operating Officer Simon King.

We recently asked you what Stoke City head coach Steven Schumacher and Sporting Director Jonathan Walters need to get right over the summer in order for the club to be more successful next season.

Here are some of the responses we received:

Jeff: Took a while for Steven to convince me that he had a coherent plan, but everything came good in the end. The loss of Iversen, Campbell and Cundle will be significant, and as a minimum, another quality striker and quality goalkeeper are essential. Junior and Million both look good, midfield ok. Defence needs a keeper as good as Iversen has been.

Anthony: Super Jonny Walters is a leader, as was Glenn Whelan who played with him. The current squad needs two or three genuine leaders in the dressing room to drive standards amongst the playing squad. He also needs to protect his head coach. Michael O'Neill and Alex Neil weren't protected when fans turned on them. Stability required.

Steve: It’s all about the blend. We need strong, fearsome defenders. Clever, creative midfielders (with a little bite), and fast, ruthless forwards with one thing on their mind. Most of all, and this is where Jon will excel, we need a one-for-all, all-for-one togetherness. Come on Jon, get them to run through walls!

David: Jonny Walters has forgotten more about football than I could ever learn, but I do expect to see him and Schumacher collaborate on a plan and go in with consistency, rather than last summer's aimless free-for-all.

Barney: We need a strong defence and someone to find the back of the net. Walters knows what true grafters as a team can achieve, and that's the sort of players we need. Team players.

Tony: Get a really good goalkeeper and strengthen the defence, those are the main tasks at hand. Next up, a good defensive midfielder and a goalscorer.

Andrew: Stoke need an extra forward and to play two up front. Recruit some pace to strengthen what we already have.

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Stoke City striker Emre Tezgel is currently out on loan at MK Dons, where his three goals and the same number of assists since joining have helped the club reach the League Two play-off semi-finals.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, the 18-year-old has revealed how he's finding life away from the Bet365 Stadium:

"It's been great. Obviously being away from Stoke for the first time, it's a new experience, but I've enjoyed it. I was just looking forward to playing and wanted to show everyone what I can do.

"Walking into a new changing room is always nerve-racking, but the lads have been excellent. They've all welcomed me really nicely. I wouldn't be able to name one person in particular. All of them have made me feel at home."

When asked what he's learnt football wise while on the road, Tezgel added:

"The physical side of the game. The speed of the game. Being able to handle the ball under pressure. That's the aspects I've found different from U21's level."

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Stoke City are preparing to head into their first transfer window with Jonathan Walters as Sporting Director, working alongside head coach Steven Schumacher.

The Potters are looking to strengthen in a number of different areas, and it's important that their recruitment is spot on should they want to be more successful next season.

What do you think Walters has to get right over the summer?

What profile of player would you like the club to sign?

Is there anyone in particular you want them to target?

Get involved and let us know your thoughts using the online form here.

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Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon has signed his first professional contract with the club.

The Potters centre-back has put pen to paper on a three-year deal to mark his 17th birthday.

The England youth international reportedly had interest, external from two clubs in the Premier League, but he's decided to stay at the Bet365 Stadium.

Speaking about his achievement, Dixon told the club website:

“It’s an amazing feeling to have agreed a professional contract at Stoke City.

“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.”

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Stoke City head coach Steven Schumacher says that he wants Million Manhoef to adjust to the physicality of Championship football ahead of next season.

The Potters winger scored four goals in his last three home games of the season, and Schumacher is hoping that he can build on that form over the summer:

“Million is getting stronger each game. He’s ended the season with loads of confidence.

"He needs to go away in the summer, rest and recover and then come back in a real good physical state because he needs to be able to produce that Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday.

"It’s relentless in this league, a lot more than he’s used to in the Dutch league. Hopefully he has a good off season and we can see the best of him next year.”

Stoke City are reportedly interested in a move to sign Queens Park Rangers defender Jake Clarke-Salter in the summer transfer window.

The Potters have made the centre-back a top target, although there are other clubs, including in the Premier League, also considering a swoop.

The Hoops have set a price tag of between £5-7m, with Steven Schumacher looking to strengthen in a number of areas ahead of next season. (John Percy, external)

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Stoke City head coach Steven Schumacher recently finished his first season at the club with three consecutive wins against Plymouth Argyle, Southampton and Bristol City.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, Ben Rowley from 'The YYY-Files, external' claimed that the 40-year-old's time in charge has so far been a success:

"He has done a good job because if we'd have carried on the trajectory that we were before he came in, we would have gone down, so he's fulfilled his primary objective.

"It took a bit of time for him to realise what he needed to do. I don't know how quickly he's going to go back to that ideal (formation) as he goes into the new season and how wedded he is to that. Nathan Jones was well wedded to his formations, that cost him in the end.

"If he's able to adapt here, we might sign two inverted full-backs, midfielders that run themselves into the ground and centre-backs that are willing to stand on the ball for 15 seconds before passing it out calmly. That's just not been very Stoke and I don't know how the crowd are going to react to that.

"His biggest accolade for me, and this is something that's not been done since Mark Hughes has been here, he's actually improved players. We've seen players grow over the course of the last dozen or so games.

"That's what I'm looking forward to next season. Seeing if he can take the squad that he has and helping them develop which is something that we've really lacked over the years."

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Stoke City striker Nathan Lowe has been named Community Champion for 2023/24.

The Potters centre-forward has spent the most time contributing to off-field projects this season, including visiting fans at schools, attending recreational football activities and celebration events.

Congratulating the 18-year-old on his award, Head of Community, Adrian Hurst, told the club website:

“Our players are very passionate about giving back to the local community and many of them throughout this season have experienced first-hand the benefits of the Community Trust's work.

“Player visibility is an important aspect of being a community conscious club and there is an understanding throughout our squad that it is positive to put something back by engaging positively in such appearances.

“Our 2023/24 Community Champion, Nathan Lowe, has shown this in abundance. Nathan has been more than happy to attend any player appearance and to go the extra mile for the supporters and young people he has met throughout the season.”

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Former Stoke City striker Mark Stein has praised Bae Junho for his performance in the 4-0 win over Bristol City last weekend.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, the veteran named the 20-year-old as his standout player for the final game of the season:

"He looks really confident in all the stuff he does. Getting Player of the Year is another bonus, isn't it? He played with a freedom that was really good to see."

How have you rated Junho's first campaign at the club?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Stoke City striker Niall Ennis has been ruled out of Saturday's game vs Bristol City after picking up a knee injury in the 1-0 win at Southampton.

Sead Haksabanovic also remains on the sidelines with a groin problem which saw him miss last weekend's match at the St. Mary's Stadium.

However, Mehdi Leris is back from illness and Lynden Gooch could return to the bench after training with the group over the last few days.

Both Ryan Mmaee and Ben Pearson are still nursing hamstring injuries and therefore won't make the squad for the final game of the season.

With Stoke City preparing to face Bristol City on Saturday, we asked you to send in your score predictions and thoughts ahead of the final game of the season.

Here are some of the responses we received:

Adrian: Stoke have finally got out of second gear and it's just in time over the last few weeks. Tip them to end the season on a high note with a 2-0 home win. I can't see Steven (Schumacher) playing out this last game of the season as a "free hit" - he has the style of playing to the final whistle. Let's end the season how we need to start the next.

Steve: I’d just love us to thrash Bristol (City), but a win and a decent performance will give us all a warm glow inside as we look forward to August. Come on you mighty Potters!

Liam: 3-0 Stoke.

• Stoke City are looking to complete a league double over Bristol City for the first time since the 2000-01 season after winning the reverse fixture 3-2 in October.

• The Robins have won their previous five away league matches against Steven Schumacher's side, last tasting defeat back in April 2008 under former manager Gary Johnson. Indeed, the away side has won nine of the last 11 league meetings between these two teams.

• The Potters have ended their league campaign with a victory in seven of the last 10 seasons (D2 L1), though they lost 2-0 to Watford last term. They haven’t suffered defeat in their final game in consecutive years since between 2008-09 and 2010-11.

• Liam Manning's outfit won their final league match of last season, beating QPR 2-0. They last won their final match in consecutive years in 2006-07 (vs Rotherham) and 2007-08 (vs Preston).

• Bristol City’s Tommy Conway scored his 20th Championship goal in their 2-0 win over Rotherham, aged 21 years and 265 days. He was the youngest player to hit 20 goals in the second tier since Joao Pedro in April 2023 (21 years, 201 days).

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Stoke City stars Jordan Thompson, Tyrese Campbell and Enda Stevens are three of the players who will be reaching the end of their contracts in June.

During Thursday's press conference, Steven Schumacher confirmed that he will hold discussions with the trio regarding new deals or exits next week:

“Jordan Thompson has got an option in his contract which is in the club’s favour so we’ll talk about that next week.

“The same with Tyrese and Enda. We’ll sit down and speak to them after the game, speak to their agents and come up with a plan moving forwards."

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Ahead of Stoke City's final game of the season vs Bristol City on Saturday, Steven Schumacher has been speaking to the media at his pre-match press conference.

The Potters head coach has discussed this weekend's opponents, how he's feeling after securing safety and his message to the fans heading into the summer.

The Robins: "They are a team who play with real energy and have got quality at the top end of the pitch, so we have to make sure that we're at it. If we can get to the performance level as we did in our last home game against (Plymouth) Argyle, we'll give ourselves a chance to win the game. Just because we're safe, doesn't mean we've got nothing to play for. Our fans deserve us to finish with some momentum and that's what we'll try and do."

Schumacher's stance: "A lot more relaxed inside, a lot calmer about the situation, but still no less focused. I want to win this game. If you can win three on the spin, that's not done too often in this league. If we can do that, that will give everybody a good feeling going into the summer."

Message to supporters: "I hope the fans can see that we are working. I can ensure them that I'm at it every single day trying to improve this club and trying to get the players playing in a way that the fans deserve to watch. That'll be the message over the summer. We'll do our best on the recruitment to get it right. A few things need to change, but if we get them changes right the way we want them to be, then it'll give us a better chance to do well next year."

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Stoke City midfielder Bae Junho is about to complete his first full season at the club having joined from Daejeon Hana Citizen last summer.

Speaking to South Korean media, external after the 1-0 win at Southampton, the 20-year-old opened up on how he feels he's taken to life with the Potters:

"First of all, I think the Championship is a league that is a bit better physically.

"That part was difficult, but on the other hand, it was a time when I could make up for my physical weakness. My performances have improved little by little.

"I'm really thankful that they allowed me to play the games I wanted to play. I always played without pressure because the coach trusted me. That’s why I was able to perform well.

"What I learned a lot from the coach is how to take a defensive position, and since I had language communication problems at first, I had a lot of trouble taking up the position. I have been helped a lot in that regard.

"I've improved further and performed better because they told me to play like this, taking advantage of my strengths."

Stoke City welcome Bristol City to the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday for their final game of the 2023/24 Championship season.

The Potters could make it three wins in a row after the 3-0 victory against Plymouth Argyle, followed by the 1-0 result at Southampton.

Can Steven Schumacher's side go out on a high by beating the Robins to give them confidence heading into pre-season?

Get involved by sending us your score predictions and thoughts using the online form here.

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EFL expert Gabriel Sutton believes that Steven Schumacher has the potential to be a long-term success at Stoke City.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, he claimed that the head coach deserves the chance to put his own stamp on the team next season:

"What you've seen with Steven Schumacher at Plymouth Argyle is somebody who can create a clear playing identity. Some of the patterns we saw from his side were really impressive. At the same time, his team did have the ability to grind out results.

"He's got all the attributes to be a success at Stoke. He's had challenges there, it hasn't been plain sailing.

"Jonathan Walters coming in who's a bit more of a familiar figure, he's certainly had an impact on the fanbase because in some of those home games, the atmosphere's been a little bit different.

"I like to think Schumacher's earned the opportunity to really be judged on what he can do next season."

You can listen to the full interview here.

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Stoke City youngster Tom Sparrow has revealed that he will be leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

As well as playing regularly for the academy, the midfielder also completed development loans at Telford United, Hamilton Academical and Chester.

Taking to his social media, the 21-year-old has confirmed that he's set to move on to a new chapter in the hope of reigniting his career:

"Another season done and the end of my time at Stoke City.

"Joining the club seven years ago at 14 years old and getting through to have had the chance to represent the club in the first team is something I’m extremely proud of and thankful for.

"Thank you to all the players and staff I have worked with that have made it so enjoyable and taught me so much, not only as a footballer but as a person.

"There are some brilliant people who work behind the scenes every day and I’ve made relationships that I will have for a long time."

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Stoke City defender Ben Wilmot has admitted that the support of the fans this season has massively helped to keep the club in the Championship.

The Potters confirmed safety with Saturday's 1-0 win at Southampton, but the 24-year-old says the team might not have survived relegation without the backing of their faithful:

"One of the positives of being in this scrap is that the fans have really come together and decided that they need to get behind us, so the atmosphere at home has been really good.

"We always travel in numbers away, but I feel certainly towards the end of this season, it's been next level. Saturday was unreal, Sheffield Wednesday was unreal.

"I've seen a lot on Twitter [now known as X] about the Wednesday fans saying they were by far the best set of away fans that have been at Hillsborough this season and I'm not surprised because the noise was crazy and it does help us a lot.

"I know players say it all the time, but I don't think fans quite understand how much they can impact a team. We're all really grateful and they've certainly played their part in us being safe."

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Stoke-On-Trent Live reporter Pete Smith believes that Bae Junho and Million Manhoef have started to adjust to the physical nature of Championship football.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, he claimed that the pair are both beginning to understand what it means to represent the Potters:

"There's a stereotype about Stoke which is quite lazy that fans only like to see players who work hard, run for the shirt and put in lots of energy.

"That is right, that's a minimum, but they love a skilful player as well. They love somebody who can embarrass an opponent, and Manhoef and Junho can both do that.

"There was a moment against Middlesbrough where Junho skid someone with his skill and everyone would be up out of their seats. Also, he can throw a centre-back aside with a shoulder barge, and you think, 'Yes, come on!'.

"Those two have got some real grit about them as well as the quality that they've got in their boots. You need both of those ingredients to succeed in the Championship."