How is ex-Sheffield United star Enda Stevens getting on at Stoke City? | OneFootball

Stoke City have had yet another below-par beginning to a Championship season.

Ahead of the weekend’s clash with Hull City, Stoke currently sit 19th in the league table and have accrued just seven points from their first seven games.

They have lost four of their outings to date and so there needs to be an upturn in form for Stoke.

The Potters were once a regular in the Premier League but that is certainly something of the past as they are instead reduced to mid-table mediocrity in the second tier of English football.

Stoke had a really busy and exciting summer with Joon-ho Bae, Wesley Moraes and Lynden Gooch joining permanently as well as Wolverhampton Wanderers duo Chiquinho and Ki-Jana Hoever arriving on loan too.

One new arrival at the bet365 Stadium who played every minute of the first five league games is Enda Stevens. Injury has kept him out of the latest two fixtures but he is clearly an important figure under Alex Neil.

How's he been getting on since his switch to the Potters? We take a look...

Where does Enda Stevens fit in at Stoke City?

Stevens was traditionally an out-and-out left-back in his early days at Sheffield United but Chris Wilder’s expansive tactics saw him and George Baldock play higher up on the flanks.

This has continued for Stevens into his time at Stoke with him in a LWB role and then Wolves loanee Ki-Jana Hoever as a RWB when both are available.

Battling it out for that spot with Stevens there was Josh Tymon but he has since moved on to Swansea City, as well as Daniel Johnson, the versatile Lynden Gooch, and youngster Liam McCarron.

The 33-year-old is the most experienced of the bunch with 75 Premier League appearances to his name so he can be a vital cog in Alex Neil’s system.

When Stevens was added to his arsenal, the Stoke boss spoke very highly of the man from Dublin, Ireland to Stoke-on-Trent Live.

“At the end of last season, we lost a lot of experienced players and it’s important we replenish that and bring good, experienced players in who know how to get the job done. It’s also an area of the pitch where we needed competition and Enda will certainly provide that.”

Neil went on to say that, “He’s also got pedigree. He’s been promoted twice out of this division and I think it’s important we get people in who know how to win, particularly at our level.”

How is Enda Stevens getting on at Stoke City?

Stevens was a Blade for six years and amassed over 200 appearances for the club before moving on to Stoke.

Injuries proved to be an issue in the latter stages of his time at Bramall Lane and also the likes of Max Lowe and Ben Osborn went ahead of him in the pecking order, not to mention that the club have brought in Yasser Larouci and Luke Thomas both on loan for this season back in the top-flight.

As previously mentioned, Stevens played the first five games of the season for Stoke and remained a mainstay in that defence.

He's certainly been busy - averaging two tackles, two clearances, 0.8 interceptions, and 0.8 blocks per Championship game this season (Whoscored). Stevens has also contributed going forward - averaging 51.4 passes (80.9% success), 1.2 key passes, and 1 successful dribble per 90.

Six goals were conceded with him in the team whereas now that he is sidelined, they have conceded three in two and managed to only get a single point.

First, they were edged out by Norwich City with Jack Stacey scoring the only goal of the game and then yesterday they drew 2-2 with Huddersfield Town, Johnson, and Ben Wilmot scoring the Stoke goals.

Ahead of the aforementioned clash with Norwich, Neil claimed that it would be touch-and-go for Stevens and so he will be back and amongst the action and making a difference very soon indeed, all being well.