News from Stoke City as players start to file back into Clayton Wood for the start of pre-season
Ben Wilmot is fit again to join in on the first day of pre-season at Stoke City.
Players are reporting back to Clayton Wood in staggered intervals, initially doing fitness testing as they get ready for a first summer under the watch of Alex Neil.
Centre-back Wilmot was among the first group in this morning, fresh to go just over two months since suffering a fracture in his back that left him taken to hospital with ’11 out of 10′ pain. He had been an increasingly key figure under Neil, who utilised the defender’s pace to press higher up the pitch, and was rewarded with a new long-term contract signed last month.
Jacob Brown, who missed the end of the season with a hamstring injury, was also fit to return and has been put through his paces in a group also featuring Tyrese Campbell and Josh Tymon
READ: Alex Neil hints at Stoke City overseas transfer business after work permit decision
READ: Stoke City among Championship transfer trio linked with Derby County rising
He said: “(Stoke are) in the early stages of an exciting new project under Ricky and Alex Neil, where the chance to make a significant contribution is tangible and immediate.
“Throughout the past few weeks, I have been in regular dialogue with Ricky and the recruitment team to be abreast of the plans in place to recruit already-identified targets. We will not be rigid in our approach during a transfer window, though, and our collective experience will give us an awareness of potential opportunities that become available, when they may not have been at a previous juncture.”
