Youngster Tom in the frame to be involved in Potters’ final game of the campaign

TOM Sparrow is on standby to make his Stoke City debut.

The 19-year-old, who has been learning a new role at right wing-back, has been around the first team squad for the last few months and could feature in the final game of term at home against Coventry.

A couple of youngsters are expected to come into the starting line-up, with D’margio Wright-phillips also hoping for a return to action after showing glimpses of his potential since breaking through in January.

There might be others who are making their last appearance for the club.

Decisions have been made on at least who will be offered new deals and a retained list will be announced soon.

Dean Holden said: “I think in terms of the players coming out of contract that are Stoke City players, decisions have been made.

“You’ll see one or two youngsters, which is always good for the club. There are some loans in there too who have still got everything to play for – and irrespective of whether we expect the players to go out and perform to the best of their ability. You never know who’s watching.

“The ones who might be leaving it’s a chance for suitors elsewhere to get their eyes on them and the commitment to play for this football club is a huge opportunity for any player. This could be the last chance for some of them to play in front of our home supporters in such a brilliant stadium.

“We want to finish the season with as much positivity as possible: that’s a good performance and result that sends supporters home with a little bit of hope going into next season.”

There are four fit players coming to the end of their loan spells at Stoke in Taylor Harwood-bellis, Jaden Philogenebidace, Romaine Sawyers and the rarely-seen Abdallah Sima, who has been dogged by injury since last summer.

It remains to be seen if Stoke try to get any back – or if they are made to wait until later in the window to complete any loan deals.

Holden said: “You have to look at every player in isolation. Some clubs are going to want to keep youngsters in for periods of pre-season training when they might have internationals away to bulk up their squad. Other clubs are happy for them to come out early and get a full pre-season with you.

“We have to look at that and we’ve got a list of targets. It’s not a case of if we don’t get the top one, oh no, scratch our heads what are we going to do? We have lists and it’s spinning plates. If one falls at the last minute for whatever reason you have another spinning. It’s a period and a process you go through over the season.

“Every club is in the same boat in terms of the players they’re looking to get, the positions they’re trying to fill and I think financially as well there are a lot of clubs who are fishing in the same water.

“How do you get a player to come to Stoke City when he has options elsewhere? It’s about selling this club, which is an easy sell in terms of the size of the club, the fan base and the history.

“Then we’ve got to make sure that we get across a message as a coaching staff that we’re going to improve him and get him to that next level. A lot of work goes into that in terms of meetings, getting out and about and meeting people.

“Hopefully all that hard work will pay off. It’s not just the coaching staff, it’s the recruitment team, and hopefully come the start of next season we’ll have a squad in place that can have a bash.”