Hibbert plotting the right course to help youngsters to continue development

STOKE City loans manager Dave Hibbert is having ongoing conversations with managers, scouts and agents to make sure another young player can follow in the footsteps of Harry Souttar, Joe Bursik and Connor Taylor.

Souttar was propelled towards the first team thanks to 18 months on loan under Joey Barton at Fleetwood Town in League One while Bursik was ready to take his chance thanks to spells with Accrington Stanley and Doncaster Rovers.

Now Taylor is coming back for pre-season to show Michael O’neill how much he has progressed thanks to a season on loan under Barton at Bristol Rovers, where he was a key figure as they won promotion from League Two.

Stoke have had a group of prospects out on loan over the last few months, including Will Goodwin and Eddy Jones at Hartlepool, Will Forrester at Mansfield, Christian Norton at Cheltenham, Ethon Varian at Raith Rovers, Lewis Macari at Dundalk and Kieran Coates at Cork City.

Not all have had the success of Taylor but all have been valuable early tastes of life in the senior game and a big step in a career either at Stoke or elsewhere.

Hibbert, Kevin Russell’s assistant with the under-23s and in charge of loans, said: “You look at the likes of Connor as an example. He played in our under-23s’ play-off game last year and on the back of that got a move to Bristol Rovers. He played over 40 games in League Two and won promotion.

“It shows the importance of those kind of games to enhance your reputation and maybe get out on loan somewhere to the league because it’s a big step from the 23s to the first team.

“We place a huge importance on it. Not everyone is going to do a Nathan Collins and go straight into the first team. You look at Harry Souttar and Joe Bursik and see the importance of loans in their development.

“We’ve had a number out this season, probably more than we’ve ever had, and that’s credit to the players and the performances they’ve put in to attract interest.

“Conversations are going on all the time with managers and I speak to scouts and agents. It’s a collective effort from the staff here and elsewhere to make sure these options are available.”

Stoke link up with non-league clubs for younger development loans, as well as league clubs for players ready for tests away from under23s football.

Hibbert said: “We want to challenge players in different ways. As an example, we’ve just had Doug Taylor go out to Fylde, who were high in National League North and creating chances with the way they play. It’s not just a case of getting players out here, there and everywhere, it’s about the right loans for their development.

“You try to prioritise younger ones. We try to get under-18s out to non-league football so that they’re getting a different challenge and dealing with aerial battles, which is something you probably don’t deal with in under-18s football.

“We wan to challenge players in different ways and you use different first loans and second loans. Connor went to Ashton United, on the back of that he went to Chester, on the back of that he went to Bristol Rovers. Each has been progress for him and challenged him in different ways and now he’s played a full season in League Two and it’s been massive for his development.”

Just as Stoke might look to Barton again after his work with two defenders, he might be looking at who is next on the conveyor belt - and he won’t be the only one, with scouts always in the stands in Premier League 2.

“Ultimately, the players need to perform,” said Hibbert.