‘I WAS DELIGHTED TO BE BACK OUT ON THE PITCH TO HELP THE LADS...’
HARRY Souttar had a pre-match chat with Alex Neil before getting the goahead to make his long-awaited Stoke City comeback.
Souttar has spent almost exactly a year recovering from anterior cruciate ligament damage, desperate to get back playing for his club and in time to be part of Australia’s plans for the World Cup.
And then it all came in one day on Tuesday: named in the 26-man squad for Qatar in the morning and named in the starting XI for Stoke in the evening.
He went on to help pick up a clean sheet and victory over Luton, getting through 90 minutes unscathed and with a big smile on his face by the end.
“I feel like I was ready,” he said. “I had a chat with the manager and he just asked me if I was ready to play. I was honest and said, ‘Yes, absolutely.’
“I’d had four games with the under-21s playing 45 minutes, 60, 90 then 70. That was always the plan and I was ecstatic to be back.
“I always get nervous before games. I think that’s a good thing and shows that you care, shows that you’re excited for the game.
“But once you get that first touch under your belt, the first header, that first tackle, it settles you down for the rest of the match.”
Souttar’s last game for Stoke had ironically been in a 1-0 win over Luton on November 6 last year. He suffered his injury five days later.
No wonder he was excited to be back out.
“Amazing,” he said. “That’s what the last 12 months was building up for and I was delighted to be back out there with the lads and just in the changing room.
“It was really to get the win. It wasn’t the greatest game for the neutral to watch and we can play better – and we’ve played a lot better this season and lost.
“But it was an important three points and I was so, so happy to be out there. I’ve had 12 months out and it was a great feeling at the end.”
He added: “As a defender it’s always nice to get a clean sheet and the goals we scored came down the left hand side with two brilliant, brilliant balls from Foxy. Powelly finished the first one off and the second just took a touch off a defender.
“But as a defender, it’s a clean sheet, three points and we can move onto the next one.”
Souttar, aged 24, will now be assessed to make sure he is ready to go again against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday before he jets off to meet up with his international teammates. Australia’s first game is against France on November 22.
He said just after full-time: “I’m a little bit stiff, a little bit sore, the calf’s a little bit tight but I feel fine. I got through ok with no injuries.”
It was Souttar’s first game under Alex Neil, who took charge in August.
The manager was impressed, saying: “I thought the game was going to suit Harry. They go back to front really quickly, they’re direct and put a lot of balls in the box. When you’re 6ft 6in it certainly helps. I thought his head was like a magnet to the ball this evening.
“The set plays come in, he’d get a flick on it and he managed to help us defend our box well.
“It’s good for him. It’s a long road back. What’s that, 12 months? That’s a long, long time to be out, especially when you’ve got that kind of frame to carry about. I’m really pleased for him.”