FORMER STOKE PLAYERS MAKING THEIR MARK IN ALL CORNERS OF WORLD...
STOKE City said goodbye a few times last summer as they cleared the decks for squad rebuilding. Some were more sad than others while there best wishes for youth teamers who were setting off to try to make their way in the game.
A few months on, we have tracked down what happened next to 11 former Potters.
ADAM FEDERICI
Goalkeeper, aged 36, returned to Australia to sign for newly-franchised Macarthur FC, who are currently fourth in the A League.
His form has sparked whispers about an international recall but he told the Sydney Morning Herald: “I’ve found it hard to get games the last couple of years, and I’ve come back to enjoy my football. That’s the main thing for me: to set my own standards and enjoy it for myself. I get to define what’s successful, not other people.
“If I’m needed or if they want to play a particular way, there’s no better feeling getting to sing the national anthem wearing those colours on a big occasion. I feel like I’m made for those big games.
“But that position’s well covered, I think. I’m just looking to enjoy my football and do the best I can for Ante (Macarthur coach Ante Milicic) and the new club we’re trying to build.”
JAKE DUNWOODY
Tenacious youth captain left for Derry City before bagging a move to Finland to play under Nathan Jones’ old sidekick Joaquin Gomez at Helsinki IFK.
“Playing for Northern Ireland, we had Finland in our group and the under-21s coach was Joaquin Gomez,” he told the Belfast Newsletter.
“I knew him from Stoke so I managed to train under him when he was there and I had a good relationship with him. “He gave me a phone call asking if I would like to come over and work with him and I was out of contract, so I was very happy when he phoned. I need something to get my profile back up there and I feel this is a good step for me to do well. “Hopefully I can become a better player with the help of Joaquin. He understands the way I play and he will help me as much as I need, so I think it will be good for me to come over and learn.”
CAMERON MCJANNET
Versatile 22-year-old joined Dunwoody at Derry - and he’s been a hit, mostly used at centre-half and returning for the new season in 2021. “I was at Luton for 10 years from a little kid until I got into the first team,” he told the Derry Journal.
“I got transferred to Stoke and it didn’t really happen for me there. Stoke were on a downward trend at the time. I still enjoyed my time there, don’t get me wrong. You had almost superstar names like the likes of Bojan and Arnautovic with a club which was going downhill.
“You just felt that if the club was doing badly then why haven’t I got my chance. When I got released I was hungry to prove to myself and to prove to them that I can do it. Hopefully Derry is that start of it.”
OLLIE SHENTON
There were huge hopes for Shenton as he came through the ranks but he was