Stoke City

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Stoke City's player of the season, Bae Junho, made an immediate impact in his senior international debut, scoring 10 minutes after coming off the bench.

Junho came on in the 70th minute during a World Cup qualifier against Singapore and wasted no time in making his mark.

The 20-year-old latched onto a cut-back from Park Seung-wook, firing the ball into the net to make it 6-0 for South Korea.

The team ran out 7-0 winners, securing their five-point lead at the top of second round qualifying Group C.

This win confirms South Korea's spot in the final preliminary round of the qualification process and ensures their participation in the 2027 Asian Cup.

Their next match is against China at home on Tuesday.

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Sporting director Jon Walters wants to end the Stoke “graveyard” as he looks to reshape the club.

Stoke are facing a seventh straight season in the Championship and have never finished above 14th since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

The Potters are investing £10-12m for a new building for the first team with the women and Academy taking over a revamped version of the existing site.

It is the club’s biggest investment, which is due to start in September, in a single development since the bet365 Stadium was built in 1997.

Stoke finished 17th in the Championship last season, having replaced Alex Neil with Steven Schumacher in December – their fifth manager in just under five years.

Walters said: “It’s been a graveyard for players and managers, we’ve not done well in the last few years. Let’s be honest about it, we have underperformed in the last seven years. Where have we finished? It’s frustrating from the outside to watch but now I’m inside the building it’s my job to change that.

You have to do it properly.

“You can’t just throw £10m at a player. What if he gets injured or goes in a year? You have to build the foundations properly. If you put a cardboard house up it’ll fall down straight away so you have to put everything in place.

“The new building has been passed and hopefully it’ll start in September. I was here when we moved into Portakabins.”

Walters made his first major appointment this week with Lee Darnbrough joining from Hull as head of recruitment, following the exit of Jared Dublin last month.

“He was almost the sporting director in situ at Hull, with what he did with Liam (Rosenior) there,” said Walters. “He brings experience in the domestic and international market. He will have a lot more knowledge in that area and he will be able to push me. He is the right person, the right character to have in. He wants to grow himself. He is the perfect person.”

Defender Ben Gibson is expected to join the Potters after his release from Norwich while former team-mate Sam McCallum remains of interest to Stoke, with the defender available on a free transfer following his exit from the Canaries.

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Stoke City will spend up to £12m on their biggest project in 30 years.

The multi-million pound investment into The Potters’ Clayton Wood training ground is due to start in September and will take around 12 months to complete.

It’ll be Stoke’s biggest outlay on a single project since the building of the Bet365 Stadium in 1997. It’ll mean improved facilities for the men’s first team, academy and women’s team.

Vice-Chairman Richard Smith said: “This development is massive for Stoke City, both in terms of scope and importance.

“Once complete, it will elevate our first team facilities to among the best in the Championship and make them fit for Premier League football.

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Stoke City have revealed further details on their summer training programme.

Steven Schumacher's squad will fly to Ireland and spend a week-long training camp in Cork starting from Saturday, July 13 which will include a game against Cork City on July 17.

Prior to that, the Potters will go to Chester on Thursday, July 11 (KO 19:45 BST).

The pre-season schedule will also see them take on their Cheshire neighbours Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday, July 23 (KO 19:30 BST).

The Potters then face last season's League Two winners Stockport County on Saturday, July 27, with the match to be played over two 60-minute halves (KO 14:00 BST).

Stoke will then travel to Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday, July 30 (KO 19:30 BST).

A final pre-season fixture has yet to be confirmed at the bet365 Stadium on the weekend of Saturday, August 3.

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Bae Junho has stolen the hearts of Stoke City fans far and wide.

After winning the club's player of the year award we asked you how highly you rated the South Korean forward? This is what you told us:

Phillip - Stoke should put a price tag on of £100m. Too often players like him get stolen for peanuts. Up the Potters

Steve - Vital ! He has pace and that unpredictability outside the penalty area which defenders find difficult to deal with. His weaving runs from the halfway line get supporters off their seats. On his day a real crowd pleaser.

Adrian - Simply put... pivotal.

Mark - A player unlikely to make much of a career so best just leave him at Stoke. Nothing to see here at all.

Do you agree? Let us know here.

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Stoke City have appointed Lee Darnbrough as the Club’s new Head of Recruitment.

The 46-year-old has moved to the bet365 Stadium after seven successful years at Hull City.

Darnbrough replaces Jared Dublin who left the club in May.

Talking about the new appointment, the Stoke City Sporting Director, Jonathan 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.”

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Stoke City are in talks with the former Norwich City defender Ben Gibson.

The former Middlesbrough and Burnley centre-back is to become a free agent on July 1st and Stoke City are very keen on bringing him to the bet365 Stadium.

The 31-year-old would add plenty of experience to Steven Schumacher's squad, as well as providing another option as a left-sided defender.

Gibson's success at Championship level is also attractive, having twice won promotion to the Premier League with both Middlesbrough and Norwich City.

What do you think about this potential signing? Let us know your thoughts here..

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After being crowned Stoke City's player of the season, Bae Junho has earned his first senior international call-up for South Korea.

The Midfielder has been named in the squad ahead of his country’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Singapore and China PR in June.

South Korea hope to reach to the 2026 World Cup finals in North America and travel to Singapore on Thursday, June 6 (1pm BST) before hosting China PR on Tuesday, June 11 (12pm BST).

A win in either fixture will secure South Korea’s place in the Third Qualifying Round, which begins in September.

How important will Junho be to Stoke City's success next season? Let us know here.

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Stoke City defender Jaden Dixon came off the bench to help England U17s win their first match of the UEFA Euro finals in Cyprus.

The teenager was a 74th minute substitute during an emphatic 4-0 victory over last year’s finalists France in Group D.

The young Lions will remain at the Ammochostos Epistrofi Stadium to play Portugal on Friday before their final Group D match against Spain next Monday.

Stoke City's first summer signing, Viktor Johansson, said he was relieved to join the Potters and that it is a great club to join.

The Swedish international left Rotherham to sign a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke the 25-year-old said he was delighted to move to the bet365 Stadium:

"First of all it's a massive club, I've heard of it since I was a kid. I spoke to my Dad a lot and he agreed with everything. Secondly I felt wanted by the club and that is a massive feeling for me.

"I'm a family man, and when you feel wanted it's a different feeling. I want to come in and help the club be where they want to be."

Talking about where he thinks Stoke City should be, Johansson says the ambitions should be the Premier League:

"I want to be part of something where we aim high, where we feel the pressure from outside and you have to be on top of your game all the time.

"As soon as I heard Stoke I knew this is where I want to go, when you have that gut feeling saying this is your club and that's what I felt."

When asked about how much he is looking forward to starting at his new club he said: "I can't wait to see everyone [the fans] I've heard great things about the home and away support. I can't wait for the season to start and show them what I can do."

What do you think about this signing? Let us know your thoughts here.

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Stoke City announced it's retained list on Tuesday with several players departing.

Matthew Baker, 21, and David Okagbue, 20, have both been offered extensions after successful loan spells at Newport County and Walsall, respectively.

While Jack Griffiths, 18, has been offered new terms following his impressive performance in Premier League 2 with the Potters' Under-21s.

However, Tom Edwards, D’Margio Wright-Phillips, Tom Sparrow, Blondy Nna Noukeu, Ben Kershaw, Kahrel Reddin, Sonny Singh, Tom Curl, and Ian Kamga will be leaving the club after not being offered new terms for the 2024/25 season.

Sporting Director Jonathan Walters praised the efforts of both departing and continuing players, particularly Tom Edwards.

“In Tom, we are parting ways with a player who has experienced our pathway in its entirety, having joined as a nine-year-old and earned the honour of featuring for Stoke City on 51 occasions.

“We are proud of those achievements and are thankful to Tom and his family for the effort and dedication that has gone into his time here. I’m looking forward to seeing what he will go on to achieve in the future."

Stoke City midfielder Sol Sidibe is reportedly attracting interest from three clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.

Chelsea, Rangers and AC Milan are all believed to be monitoring the 17-year-old's progress after a breakthrough season at the Bet365 Stadium.

The Potters teenager made eight senior appearances in total, with his impressive performances having caught the attention of big teams. (Daily Mail, external)

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We recently asked you what you have made of Jonathan Walters' performance as Stoke City's Sporting Director since he was appointed in April.

Here are some of the responses we received:

Paul: Jon Walters is a breath of fresh air to my club. As a supporter for over fifty years, I can certainly say I have lived through the highs and lows, mostly lows. The DNA in this area, in history, was coal mines and pot banks with hard-working men/women who looked forward every Saturday to Stoke City. Jon knows this and understands this.

Robin: It was clear that the culture in the dressing room from the latter stages of the Hughes era was not the passionate Stoke City we all know. Schuey's 'non-negotiables' was the shoots of the new era. There is no better person than SJW to support, enhance and generate the drive and passion for success.

Gary: SJW knows that all Stoke fans ask is that players give 100% on the pitch. SJW, Shawcross, Whelan and Huth did just that.

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Stoke-On-Trent Live reporter Pete Smith believes that Stoke City have a stronger core squad to work with heading into pre-season compared to last summer.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, he said that the Potters need to focus on signing new players in the positions that most need addressing:

"They'll have a conservatively stronger platform to build on this summer than they did last summer. Last season was all about the opportunity to build a squad and they got some things right. We've spoken about Wouter Burger, Bae Junho and Million Manhoef.

"They got some things wrong. They've been unbalanced in a few areas. They haven't found a goalscorer and they've obviously been at the wrong end of the league table.

"This time around, they've got a much stronger core to start from and they can concentrate more on the positions that they really need to get right.

"Hopefully they know exactly what they need and they can go out and get it, but it's talking about opportunity rather than reflecting on a good season unfortunately."

Who would you like the club to sign during the upcoming transfer window?

Send us your comments here.

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The Potters have announced that Enda Stevens has signed a new one-year contract, keeping him at the club for the 2024/25 season.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, former defender Ian Cranson was asked whether it was the right decision to tie the left-back down to a fresh deal:

"Without a shadow of a doubt.

"I thought the balance looked a lot better when he was there in the games that he played. You could see they looked more comfortable, even people ahead of him, knowing that they had a proper left-back rather than a fill-in.

"Obviously it's good. The frustrating thing was when he got injured. When he's out for a few games, we've struggled a little bit.

"Whether or not they look to reinforce that position as one of their signings in the summer because (Jordan) Thompson is staying. It's whether they are going to use Thompson as another fill-in.

"You've got to keep your fingers crossed because Stevens is getting to that age where he's more susceptible to pick up a couple of injuries.

"Hopefully he'll stay injury free and he'll be the regular, but that's something they maybe need to think about."

How do you feel about Stevens staying at the Bet365 Stadium?

Send us your comments here.

Former Stoke City defender Denis Smith recently said that the club should aim to secure a place in the Championship top six next season.

We then asked you where you think the Potters will finish at the end of the new campaign.

Here are some of the responses we received:

Steve: I respect Smithy so much and his mindset is that of a typical footballer, whether it’s professional or amateur. You expect to win every game. You walk onto the pitch buzzing. Sometimes you win, if you don’t, you’re gutted. It lasts until you play your next game which you expect to win! At the beginning of the season, you expect to be champions!

Paul: Relieved to have stayed in the Championship and buoyed by performances in the final few games. I suffered at the Leicester 5-0 thrashing and a team that seemed to lack commitment and conviction against a vastly more energetic opponent. Next season, we should be targeting at least 66 points and see what that gives us to build on.

Adrian: Denis is totally correct! We must push on every season, not only to finish higher than last season, but for the opportunity to get promoted. When the 90 minutes starts and right up to the final whistle, we have to play to win. Every win puts you above the rest. Promotion, or the chance of, at least has to be the aim.

John: Should be ambitious and have high targets. The club needs to have a change of mindset and believe in themselves. Be prepared to work harder than ever for a great reward.

Andrew: It would be brilliant for Stoke to make the Premiership next season. If not automatic then through the play-offs. More than good enough to do it.

Barry: A lot of rebuilding needs to be done. Need to be formidable at home and build on that. Probably mid-table finish.

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BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator Sohail Sahi believes that Jonathan Walters has made a positive impact at the club since being appointed Sporting Director.

Sahi says that the former forward has done a great job rekindling the connection between the players, staff and fanbase:

"It's a massive tick in the box of John Coates when he put him in interim charge and then he's hired him permanently. It's getting that Stoke DNA back at the club.

"We've seen the likes of Glenn Whelan coming to watch the games, I saw John O'Shea in the director's box, I've seen Phil Bardsley.

"You can sense some of the old Stoke players wanting to be around the club again and I've got a feeling that's to do with Jonathan Walters being the football director.

"I know he gets the club, he understands it, he's played in the shirt. He knows what it means to the supporters.

"I loved his chat not long ago when he talked about the future. He talked about getting back into the Premier League, getting into Europe. That really made me smile."

How would you assess Walters' performance in his role so far?

Let us know your thoughts here.

Stoke City are reportedly considering a move to sign Sheffield Wednesday attacking midfielder and forward Josh Windass in the summer transfer window.

Championship clubs West Bromwich Albion and Hull City, alongside newly-promoted Derby County, also hold an interest.

The Owls are in talks with the 30-year-old over a new contract, but with an agreement yet to be reached, his options are open ahead of next season. (The Star, external)