Stoke City boss makes ‘unfortunate’ point as Enda Stevens decision explained
Steven Schumacher has revealed why he was so keen to make veteran defender Enda Stevens his first signing as Stoke City head coach.
The 33-year-old Republic of Ireland full-back was out of contract after an injury-hit first season at the bet365 Stadium, but opted to agree a new deal earlier this week to extend his stay.
And Schumacher believes convincing the former Premier League player to do so is a real coup for the club. He explained: “I think everyone’s seen the quality he’s got. I’ve known Enda for a long time and watched him play in the Premier League, and being a full international he is a massively experienced player.
“It was unfortunate when we first came in that he had just picked up an injury, so we wasn’t able to get him on the pitch until right into the run-in. But the way he played from the Hull game onwards, he was a massive part in the team’s success.”
Stevens was recruited from Sheffield United United last July under Schumacher’s predecessor as boss, Alex Neil, but only managed 21 appearances as injuries started to bite.
However, Stoke recorded four wins and three draws in their final eight matches following Stevens’ return in late March, and overall they averaged 1.5 points from the 18 league games in which he featured over the entire season.
Schumacher said that sort of form made convincing Stevens to stay was a ‘no brainer’. He told the club website: “His experience, his quality, his calmness, keeping the group nice and steady, yeah, he was excellent, so when the opportunity was there to extend his contract, I felt I wanted to do that.
“Not only has he got all those qualities I’ve already mentioned, he’s a really good person as well and a good influence in the dressing room. He’s positive, he trains well, so for me it was a no-brainer, and thankfully he chose to extend his stay here.”
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