March Player Of The Month – Result

  Back in August, Stoke’s young centre-back Ryan Shawcross had a dreadful game in Stoke’s first ever Premier League game, a 3-1 away defeat to Bolton. Despite an impressive first season as a full professional, with Stoke in the Championship last season, it seemed to me that day that he wasn’t ready for top flight football yet, and I was among many suggesting that it might benefit him to go out on loan back to the Championship, to gain further experience, especially with our new signings Abdoulaye Faye and Ibrahima Sonko looking like keeping Shawcross out of the first team at the Britannia Stadium. Today I can happily say I was wrong.

  He stayed at Stoke, and after regaining his place in the starting eleven in October, the month in which he turned 21, he has looked every bit the Premier League player, forming an impressive partnership with Faye, and putting in numerous impressive displays, particularly in home matches.

 
Shawcross and Faye – a formidable pairing

  Though all his defensive qualities have translated from the Championship to the Premier League, one thing that seemingly had not was his goalscoring. Despite scoring eight times last season, Shawcross had failed to find the net for over a year going into the month of March. That was all to change quickly though, as he struck three times in the month, most recently netting the vital late winner in our 1-0 home victory over Middlesbrough. His newfound attacking potency has no doubt played a part in his victory of this month’s prize. March has been a good month for The Potters, with seven points being gained from a possible twelve, form that has seen us edge away from the relegation zone. The month’s successes have been built on a solid defence and some timely goals, and Shawcross has provided both, so, with 63% of the vote, three times as much as second placed Andy Wilkinson, and in a month in which he also earned an England Under 21 call-up, it is only right that Shawcross wins my player of the month award for March.

Congratulations to Ryan Shawcross, all 6’5” of him