Stoke-on-Trent Live

Ashley Phillips has Stoke City running through him enough to not only subconsciously drop an “every step along the way” into an answer when he was interviewed by the local media – but to then realise he had done it and smile.

The 20-year-old centre-half will play his 72nd game for the club on Wednesday night at home against Oxford United, having been borrowed for a second season from Tottenham Hotspur.

That is more appearances on loan than anyone else in Stoke’s long history – some 5,765 minutes – and he admits he forgets sometimes that he is a loan player. Indeed, he doesn’t act like a loan player, in or out of action, and he has a brilliant relationship with supporters.

It is no surprise that, in an ideal world, he would like to be back again next term.

“I’d love to,” he said. “It’s a fantastic club but we’ve got to see how the season finishes and then go from there for next year.”

That’s not quite a contract and there are loads of factors that would influence what happens in the summer, not least that he is under contract at Spurs until 2028 – but he is clearly happy as a Potter.

He said: “I love being here, it’s a fantastic club. I’m very thankful for how they’ve developed me as a player. I feel like I owe everything to Stoke and that’s why I’ve been so keen to achieve great things this season, which I’m still positive about.

“I forget sometimes I’m a loan player too. It feels like I’ve been here forever to be fair. It’s a great club. The fans are great, the staff are great. I’m loving my time here.”

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There has been enough drama back in North London to probably mean Phillips’s future isn’t quite the main topic for discussion down there at the moment – but loan manager Andy Scoulding does keep in regular touch.

“He’s very happy with how things are going,” said Phillips. “He keeps in contact pretty much every week, asking about the game, how it’s gone. They’re making sure I’m on the right path.”

Phillips passed his century of career appearances last month having previously made 20 on loan at Plymouth and 11 at first club Blackburn.

He admits he feels like a different footballer now than the one who first arrived at Clayton Wood a year-and-a-half ago.

“I’ve improved so much and I’m thankful to all the staff here and all the players here,” he said. “I’m very happy with my development but I know I can push on even more. I have to keep kicking on.

“For a centre-back it’s all about experience. You learn from each game you play. I’ve made just over 100 appearances now at the age of 20, which is a great start and it’s one of the goals I’ve set when I was very young. I need to keep playing those games and keep learning.”

One of the big boxes still to tick is at the other end of the pitch and chipping in with goals from set pieces.

Phillips is yet to score in the league for Stoke and he doesn’t even just want to be a centre-back who chips in with one or two here and there. The pressure is probably cranked up a little now as captain and pal Ben Wilmot grabbed a brace last weekend against Leicester.

He said: “I’ve been getting on the end of quite a few things to be fair and it can be frustrating, especially at the weekend when I hit the crossbar. I just have to keep it down a little bit. It’s a positive that I’m getting a lot of first contacts but I need to hit the back of the net eventually.

“You look at the best centre-backs like John Terry and he probably scored 10-plus in a season. You’re looking at players like that and it’s definitely one of my goals. Hopefully I can get a couple before the end of the season.

“It’s one of the things (Stoke coach) Ryan Shawcross boasts about to me. I think he scored near 10 in his first season here. I definitely ask him for advice and he gives it to me, it’s just about putting it into play.”

Shawcross, now a first team coach at Stoke, is one of the few players ever to be punished with a penalty for the kind of grappling at set pieces that has taken hold, no pun intended, in the Premier League and Championship this season.

Mike Dean gave Manchester City a spot kick when Shawcross had his hands on Nicolas Otamendi back in August 2016. "I'm sure Dean invented a rule on the spot," Shawcross later reflected as he rattled through the best and worst referees he'd played under.

Plenty of dead balls are stopped these days while referees try to get a handle on pushing and pulling and mastering all that will be important for Phillips in both boxes.

He said: “There’s definitely been a lot more contact in the box this season. It’s all about movement and you need double movement, sending him one way and going the other. You’ve got to dictate to the defender, not let him dictate you. Then it’s about the timing of the cross and the balance of that – making sure you can escape your man and get your timing right.”

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That’s just one of the areas that Phillips is trying to improve.

He is sure that he and his teammates’ development will be aided by the facilities on offer in a new training building they moved into last week.

“It’s absolutely amazing, probably one of the best in the Champ,” he said. “We know we’ve got the facilities and it shows we’ve got the backing of the people higher up. It’s a great place to be around.

“There’s no excuses. We call it the one per cent-ers. We’ve got the twin pool, your hydro, your cryo and you can recover. I think from a mental point of view it’s boosted us as a team and we’re a happy around the building. It’s a fantastic building and hopefully it can help us kick on.”

Starting with this Oxford game live on TV.

“They’ve picked up some great results against some top teams so it’s going to be a tough match,” said Phillips, “but there’s no doubt if we execute our game plan we should get the three points.”

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Young Tottenham Hotspur and Northern Ireland playmaker Jamie Donley didn't start a league game during the first half of the season on loan at Stoke City

Jamie Donley is set for a speedy new loan deal to be sorted out following his mid-season release from Stoke City.

The 20-year-old playmaker returned to parent club Tottenham Hotspur just hours into the January transfer window after finding game time hard to come by at the bet365 Stadium.

He started two Carabao Cup ties early in the campaign but only cameos in the Championship and none since October. This was his first test at this level after impressing as last season went on out at Leyton Orient in League One.

The Northern Ireland youngster has been linked with Steven Schumacher's Bolton Wanderers - although former Stoke boss Schumacher played down rumours - and is now reported to be close to a switch to Oxford United, who have just sacked another former manager, Gary Rowett.

FootballLeagueWorld claim the deal is "set to be confirmed within the coming days" and he will be tasked with trying to help pull out of the relegation zone. Oxford are currently second bottom, three points behind fourth-bottom Portsmouth and five adrift of fifth-bottom Blackburn.

Former Swansea head coach Alan Sheehan is being linked with the vacancy at Oxford, where Craig Short is currently in caretaker charge. Stoke host Oxford on February 25.

Is Donley Championship ready? Click HERE to join the debate

While you're here, we have launched a new WhatsApp group to deliver the latest Stoke news directly to your phone. Click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in. If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group', simple as that.

Every day, the StokeonTrentLive football desk strive to deliver news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Stoke City content.

Our dedicated reporter Pete Smith - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows Stoke home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.

With so much going on, we send out a daily free Stoke City newsletter which you can sign up for - and means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Potters newsletter here .

Mark Robins's first deal of January is done just hours after transfer window opened

Jamie Donley is returning to Tottenham Hotspur after cutting short an intended season-long loan at Stoke City.

The 20-year-old Northern Ireland playmaker had hoped to kick on in the Championship this season after helping Leyton Orient reach the League One play-offs in the second-half of last term.

But his two starts both came in the Carabao Cup early in the campaign and his last cameo in the league came at Millwall in October. There have been matches when he hasn't been named among the substitutes.

Stoke head to Hull without him today (3pm) and there is understood to be interest from other Championship clubs to take him for the next few months. He is allowed to join a different club this window because he hasn't previously played for Spurs this season. He will hope to find a place to play to put himself into international contention ahead of World Cup qualifying play-offs in the spring.

Mark Robins has kept faith in Bae Junho at number 10 for Stoke, also at times using Lewis Baker. The Potters have Ashley Phillips as a regular starter borrowed from Spurs and striker Divin Mubama from Manchester City. They now have three vacant loan spots as Robins tries to bolster his squad this month.

Right decision? Click HERE to join the debate

While you're here, we have launched a new WhatsApp group to deliver the latest Stoke news directly to your phone. Click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in. If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group', simple as that.

Every day, the StokeonTrentLive football desk strive to deliver news, features and transfer-related stories as a part of our overall package of Stoke City content.

Our dedicated reporter Pete Smith - who you can follow on X by clicking here - follows Stoke home and away and offers you comprehensive coverage from matchdays, press conferences and everything that happens in between.

With so much going on, we send out a daily free Stoke City newsletter which you can sign up for - and means you'll have a round-up of the key stories land in your email inbox. Sign up to the Potters newsletter here .

Stoke City-linked Tyrese Hall is expected to leave Tottenham on loan this month.

Sky Sports News claims the 19-year-old has attracted interest from clubs in the Championship, League One and Scottish Premiership, all of whom are said to be ‘keeping an eye’ on his situation.

The report adds the midfielder is well-regarded at Spurs and that they are likely to send him out in the current transfer window in order to increase his first team minutes. Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has even compared the teenager to Luka Modric and backed him to make it in the top flight.

Hall, a deep-lying midfielder, joined the Tottenham youth set-up from Chelsea and signed his first professional deal in 2022.

He is yet to play a first team game but has been a regular in the Premier League 2. He has also made two starts in the Vertu Trophy against Bristol Rovers and Swindon Town, scoring against the Robins. His appearances have come right through the midfield and even as a second striker and centre-forward.

He was linked with Stoke a few days ago but sources close to Tottenham have played that down. Stoke currently have plenty of options in the middle of the park, boosted by the recall of Lewis Baker from his loan at Blackburn Rovers.

Wouter Burger and Tatsuki Seko have played the majority of minutes in the middle of the park, along with Andrew Moran, who has been used on the right in the last couple of matches.

Ashley Phillips has ‘all the attributes you could want in a centre-half’ as he catches the eye on loan at Stoke City.

The 6ft 4in 19-year-old, on a season-long loan from Tottenham, has been cementing a place at the heart of Stoke’s defence next to Ben Wilmot over the last few weeks and played an important role in a run of five unbeaten games.

He is still a work in progress but there is growing expectation that he has a future at the top level and keeper Viktor Johansson is enjoying the chance to play behind him.

“He’s got everything,” said Johansson. “He’s been unbelievable since he’s come in. It’s not easy, having had to wait for his chance as well, but every time he’s played he’s been really solid. He’s got every attribute you could want a centre-half to have.

“Ben can play everywhere and he’s a brilliant player to have in the squad. He’s been excellent at centre-half and he’s growing with every game. I think he’s brilliant for Ash to have in there as well, with that bit more experience. He can learn loads from Ben.”

He added: “Consistency is important and they’ve been brilliant. Two great lads and we really want that clean sheet. You can see the fire in their eyes when we speak about it. It’s a real pleasure playing with them.”

Wilmot is only 25 but that, along with 170 appearances in the Championship, make him a senior figure in the Stoke changing room, particularly while Ben Gibson, Ben Pearson, Sam Gallagher and Jordan Thompson have been in the treatment room.

“You have to step up,” said Johansson. “There’s always someone younger than you and Wilmo’s played plenty in this league and knows what it’s all about. To be fair Ash did well at Plymouth as well but the more games you get under your belt the better he’ll be.”

Johansson himself has taken the captain’s armband while Ben Gibson has missed out, first due to illness then injury.

“I love to take responsibility,” he said. “It’s not pressure but I like to have that responsibility. That’s something I really enjoy.”

Stoke are now heading into a triple-header of fixtures against teams who, like them, are stuck in the bottom half of the Championship; Portsmouth (Wednesday, 7.45pm), Oxford United (Saturday, 12.30pm) and Hull (Saturday, February 1, 3pm).

The table is logjammed around the Potters but Johansson, who will lead the team out at Fratton Park, said: “We always look up. That’s where we want to go, we can never look down, we’re just looking up.”

Johansson has been in the wars over the last few weeks and needed nine stitches in his arm after a Boxing Day challenge against Leeds United – but it will take more than that to worry him, let alone stop him playing.

“It was just a few stitches so I’m fine,” he said. “That won’t stop me from getting out there and playing football. It’s nothing major.”

While you're here, we have launched a new WhatsApp group to deliver the latest Stoke news directly to your phone. Click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in. If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave at any time by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group', simple as that.

Narcis Pelach hadn't had time to watch a slow motion replay of Ashley Phillips's goal when he came in for his post-match press conference.

Phillips had made his first appearance under new head coach Pelach at Sheffield United on Saturday and had two decent chances at set pieces. The one that fell his way late in the first half at Southampton on Tuesday night was barely even registered as a chance.

Yukinari Sugawara had deflected a Michael Rose header towards his own goal when Phillips produced a sumptuous back heel flick that sunk it past Aaron Ramsdale. It was no wonder that a Spurs fan account on social media quickly posted a clip and captioned it as a 'sexy flick goal' - and it was nice, probably unexpected way to score the first goal of his professional career.

Stoke had been 2-0 down but Phillips' goal gave them hope and Tom Cannon levelled in the second half before Million Manhoef had what would probably have been a winner cleared off the line - then James Bree sealed it for Southampton with a long ranger.

Still, Phillips has done himself no harm under the new boss. He had been serving concussion protocol then went away with England under-20s, having to be patient before he got his next opportunity.

Pelach said: "He had chances against Sheffield United the other day. I'm impressed with his performance today and the other day and he needs to continue in this direction because I think he's a good centre-back, can be very good in the future."

The era of Financial Fair Play means particularly careful budgeting decisions for Stoke City and it's clear that they've been prepared to focus their muscle in the loan market this summer.

Tom Cannon, Andrew Moran, Lewis Koumas and Ashley Phillips had a lot of interest from across the Championship over the last few months and the players and their parent clubs could afford to be picky about where they were sent. Those parent clubs wanted them close at hand for most of pre-season too.

So Stoke had to be patient to get these deals over the line, they had to offer a package that could see off rivals and they had to sell the bet365 Stadium as the place to be this season. In the mean time, other long-list targets were making moves, the season kicked off and deadline day drew nearer.

Time will tell how much impact they can make from now until May but here and now, in the first week of September, there is at least optimism that they all improve the squad and will be fun to watch. It is a change in philosophy from signing players on loan who Stoke mostly thought they may have a chance to make permanent - but ended up largely being all-too forgettable changing room fillers. Quick quiz: how many of the 17 (seventeen!) loanees that have been at Stoke over the previous two seasons can you name in the next minute? Answers below.

There were big decisions through the window for Stoke, starting with the call to release Tyrese Campbell. That set the tone for the moves that came much later on with exits sanctioned for Josh Laurent, Lewis Baker, Daniel Johnson and now Ryan Mmaee too. “I felt at the end of last season that for us to move forward I needed to freshen things up," said Steven Schumacher.

Young loanees, pathways for academy graduates and backing the younger players from last season to play bigger roles this time around makes for a dramatically different age profile. Hence the youngest starting XI in Stoke's history last week in the Carabao Cup, then something similar on Saturday in the Championship.

.It all leads to us asking what they've got right, what you're worried they might have got wrong and, ultimately, what your hopes are now deadline has come and gone.

Here is our big post-transfer window state of the nation survey if you can take a couple of minutes to take part and thanks in advance.

And oh yes, here are all those loan signings from the last two seasons. How many did you remember?

Stoke loan signings in 2022/23 and 2023/24: Harry Clarke, Gavin Kilkenny, Will Smallbone, Tariqe Fosu, Liam Delap, Dujon Sterling, Matija Sarkic, Bersant Celina, Ben Pearson, Axel Tuanzebe, Ki-Jana Hoever, Chiquinho, Mark Travers, Luke McNally, Sead Haksabanovic, Daniel Iversen, Luke Cundle

Steven Schumacher is glad to add Ash Phillips to his squad for the season as he weighs up whether to give the teenager his Stoke City debut tonight.

England under-19s centre-half Phillips, aged 19, has joined on loan from Tottenham after spending the second-half of last term with Plymouth Argyle and pre-season back with his parent club. He was on the bench against West Brom in the Championship on Saturday and is likely to start tonight in a Carabao Cup second round tie at Middlesbrough (7.15pm).

He joins Ben Gibson, Ben Wilmot and Michael Rose as the senior centre-backs in the squad while 17-year-old duo Jaden Dixon, a fellow England youth, and Freddie Anderson have both made their debuts already this season. Gibson and Wilmot have started the three league games so far while Rose is hoping to be back fit by the middle of next month after picking up an ankle injury in pre-season.

MIKE PEJIC: Stoke players looked lost vs West Brom and I'm not surprised

“Ash is a good player,” said Schumacher. “He’ll add something to us. He did really well last year on his loan spell at Plymouth. He’s a real good profile, big, physical, he can run. He’s comfortable on the ball. He’s a good addition to the squad, especially because we’ve got Michael Rose out injured and he still will be for another couple of weeks.

“We’ve had young Jaden in and around the squad who’s 17 and a brilliant player and is going to need time to develop. To strengthen in that area was really important and I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to do it.”

Schumacher insists it has been a difficult decision to weigh up how far and how fast to push Dixon, who could also feature this evening, and Anderson right here and now. But he insists it was important to bolster this department before the transfer deadline passes at 11pm on Friday.

“We’re always mindful of that,” he said. “We can’t block pathways with anyone we think isn’t better than what we’ve got at the moment.

“What Ash has got on Jaden is half-a-season in the Championship, he’s been playing with a Premier League team in Spurs throughout all of the pre-season. They signed him from Blackburn for good money and they’ve got high hopes for him.

“We’re not expecting too much too soon from Jaden but if he’s needed, as he’s shown already, he’s a really good player – and as is Freddie, who has done well for us.

“But we have to make sure we have to get the first team squad as strong as we possibly can.”

Stoke City are using the loan market to add a sprinkle of quality that is difficult to bring in permanently at this stage in the club’s cycle, says Jon Walters.

Ash Phillips, aged 19, has today become the third loan signing of the summer as he signed up from Spurs. Forward Lewis Koumas, aged 18, has already joined from Liverpool while Andrew Moran, aged 20, has arrived from Brighton.

It has been seen as an important part of squad building and is intended to complement the Championship experience brought in via Ben Gibson, Sam Gallagher and Viktor Johansson or the signings of Eric Bocat and Bosun Lawal, who are playing in the division for the first time, as well as the players already in the building who are mostly just 12 months into their Stoke careers.

It will still be a busy final week of the window but there is hope that the ground work has been done to make sure the club pulls in the right direction over the next few months.

Walters said: “We’re conscious of the balance of the squad and the size of the squad, which were quite hefty on at the moment. If you look at players who are out injured and coming back in – and there should be a good number of players back between the September and October international breaks – we will have a large squad number. We did say last season it was too big and it becomes difficult for a head coach to manage, trying to keep everyone who is out of the team happy.

“But I think we’re in a good place with it. We’ve got some good experience and good hungry young players with huge ambitions.

“We’re quite lucky that some big clubs have trusted us with their players. We’ve got Lewis Koumas from Liverpool who has got a big future ahead of him. We’ve got Andrew Moran the same, Ash Phillips the same. We’ve got some good ones in there thanks to good links with clubs and hopefully they can add that little bit of quality that you wouldn’t normally get in our position as a club.”

He added: "We are building something here, we're not just looking at the short-term and players for the here and now that you have to go and spend ridiculous wages for and things like that. We're making long-term investments. I looked at a sheet the other day from May 2023 and there are only four players in the squad from that time who are still here, so that's a huge turnaround in players.

"There have been eight so far this window and you don't want to have a huge turnaround. We want to build something. The best thing is players who are about to just burst onto the scene or have the potential to go right to the top but can also make a huge impact in the Championship. We've got a good mix. We've got to get the balance of the squad right and having those experienced players in there as well but where we want to be as a football club is where those players want to be as well."

Centre-half Phillips came through the ranks at Blackburn and joined Tottenham last summer before spending the second half of the season on loan at Plymouth. He comes into the squad for tomorrow’s home match against West Brom (3pm).

Walters said: “We knew we were short in the centre-back position. We had Michael Rose out, we’ve got Ben Wilmot and Ben Gibson. We were waiting on Ash for a while, waiting on what Tottenham were going to do with him. We followed him last season at Plymouth, where he did really well and won young player of the year. I’ve watched him since he’s been very young at Blackburn before he went to Tottenham.

“He’s got a big future ahead of him and we’re happy that he’s chosen to select us rather than a few clubs that were in for him.”

Stoke City are believed to be working on a deal to sign England youth defender Ashley Phillips on loan from Tottenham.

Phillips, aged 19, came through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers but joined Spurs last summer for about £2 million and spent the second-half of last season on loan at Plymouth Argyle, after Steven Schumacher had left Home Park to take charge at Stoke.

He earned impressive reviews in the Championship and Stoke could get a deal done in time for him to be involved against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Steven Schumacher currently has captain Ben Gibson and Ben Wilmot as his first choice centre-halves while Michael Rose is hoping to be back fit from an ankle injury next month. Jaden Dixon and Freddie Anderson, both aged 17, have made their first team debuts this season.

Schumacher remained relatively coy about anything imminent when he was asked about transfers at his pre-West Brom press conference this afternoon.

He said: "I'm not sure if we'll get anything done before Saturday but (our transfer work) will go into the final week, yes. We've still got a bit of business to do - both ins and outs The sooner it's done, for me, the better, but like all these things seem to do they will go down to the wire. By 11pm on Friday night I hope I'll be in bed ahead of the Plymouth game!"

He added: "There's nothing to report today but I'm sure there will be some ins and outs over the next eight days. I can't wait for it to shut and hopefully we get the players who will do the business we need to do before it does and we can concentrate solely on the footy."

There will be exits but Schumacher will have no problem selecting players in his squad this weekend even if they know it might be for the final time.

He said: "Players are professional. We explain to everyone that while they're here, get on with it and give 100 per cent in training and be prepared to play. That's what players have done from Day One.

"As everyone knows, in football things change quickly and we need to be adaptable as well. If we can bring a new player in who comes into the team straight away then so be it and if we don't manage that and someone needs a couple of weeks to get to grips with what we're doing that'll be the case with that too. We're quite relaxed either way."