Highly rated Stoke City youngster Tommy Simkin has joined Walsall on loan as Steven Schumacher looks to get match experience for the promising England youth international.

Simkin who hails from Walsall now has a chance to show his potential with regular football after making his debut for City last season when an emergency recall for Mark Travers who was on loan at the club meant Simkin was thrown in for a first team debut in December.

Former British youth martial arts champion was an outfield player until an emergency at under-14s level when he was thrown in goal. He hasn’t looked back. Good with his feet, agile and brave, he has been called into England youth camps over the last few months and impressed on a loan with Solihull Moors in the National League in the first half of the season.

The youngster is delighted to get a chance to shine at his hometown club after a successful loan spell at Solihull Moors, stating: “It’s class. I am a local lad and I think it is brilliant to come to this football club and try and play as many games as I can.