JUST IN: Steven Schumacher pointed to Enda Stevens’ influence on and off…….

Stoke City boss explains key contract decision with hint at what else is needed

Steven Schumacher pointed to Enda Stevens’ influence on and off the pitch after extending the left-back’s contract.

Stevens, aged 33, has signed up for another 12 months at Stoke City after recovering from injury to play a significant role in a sprint finish to safety. There are hopes that Stevens can stay fit to be involved more next season and, with his promotion-winning experience at Portsmouth and Sheffield United, he can bring something else to the party too.

“I thought Enda was outstanding in the last eight games,” said Schumacher, in part of an extensive close-season interview with the Sentinel. “He hadn’t been able to play from when we got here up until that point. He trained a couple of weeks here and there with the team but was never at the fitness level. He picked up injuries in his recovery and it wasn’t until just before the Hull game that he played his first reserve game.

“He played an under-21s game behind closed doors during the international break. I watched the 45 minutes or whatever that he played and you could see the quality that he’s obviously got. I’ve seen it in training, but to see it in a in a game situation is different.

“Then we made the decision going into the Hull game to start him and it was a tough call because he was up against one of the best players in the division in Jaden Philogene, certainly one of the best wingers. We’d had a couple of injury issues as well but to throw him in was a risk.

“But the way he performed in that game, it was like, ‘Wow, what a good footballer he is.’ And if you can do that after only one 45 minutes, that gives us confidence.

“He didn’t play in the Easter Monday game because it would have been too fast. But after that, when he was asked to play he was outstanding and he was excellent. His experience, his quality and the way he is in the dressing room, nice and calm.

“When I said to him, ‘We want to offer you a new contract,’ he was keen to stay because he could sense that we are trying to build something good here.

“He gave me some advice as well about what the dressing room kind of needs and the personalities that we need to try to bring in so he is a big help.”