34-year-old's post Stoke City exploits must shock Potters supporters: View | OneFootball

Not many could have predicted the career of Eric Choupo-Moting during his time at Stoke City.

Choupo-Moting was enjoying a decent career when he first arrived in Stoke back in 2017, but no one would have guessed his next steps after departing at the end of the 2017/18 campaign. Prior to joining Stoke, he established himself as a proven goalscorer in the Bundesliga for several clubs, with his most prolific spells coming for Mainz 05 and Schalke.

Away from club football, Choupo-Moting was a regular for the Cameroon national team, appearing in the 2010 and 2014 World Cup, so he was no stranger to the elite level of football on his arrival in the Premier League with the Potters.

His versatility has been key throughout his career, as he is able to play on either wing or through the middle as a striker.

Choupo-Moting's time with Stoke City

The Cameroon international arrived in the Premier League in August 2017, signing for Stoke on a free transfer, following his release from Schalke.

Upon the announcement of his signing, Stoke's Chief Executive said: "Eric has been on our radar for several years and we actually tried to bring him to the Club four years ago.

"The competition to sign him this summer was particularly intense with clubs across Europe wanting him."

He spent just one season with the club, and it was far from successful as they suffered relegation at the end of the campaign, and have failed to return to the top-flight since.

Choupo-Moting was a regular in that 2017/18 Stoke side, making 26 Premier League starts, scoring five and assisting five. He typically operated on the left of the front three, but his versatility allowed him to play as a striker on occasion.

Despite being one of Stoke's most vital players that season, his goal contributions were slightly disappointing and were simply not enough to keep the side in the Premier League. With that in mind, hardly any Stoke supporters would have expected Choupo-Moting to go from relegation to the Championship, to playing in the Champions League within the space of a few months.

A successful career after Stoke City

Many have been shocked with the 34-year-old's career trajectory following his departure from English football, and rightfully so. In the summer of 2018, he signed for Paris Saint-Germain and went on to spend two full seasons with the French giants, winning the league title on both occasions.

With PSG, he scored nine goals and assisted three, and perhaps his most important goal came towards the end of his spell with the club, as his stoppage time finish against Atalanta sent PSG into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

In October 2020, Choupo-Moting made another unforeseen career move, as Bayern Munich came calling, which saw him return to the Bundesliga after three years away.

Despite the number of high-calibre players that Bayern Munich have on the books, the 34-year-old has had a fair amount of game time with the German club over the last few years, and has become a popular squad player.

The 2022/23 campaign was a huge success for Choupo-Moting, as he scored ten league goals in just 14 starts, a statistic that would have been a huge surprise to Stoke supporters after his rather disappointing time with the Potters.