Baker returns to Stoke
Rovers midfielder Lewis Baker has been recalled by parent club Stoke City, subject to official approval from The FA/EFL.
The 29-year-old initially joined the club on a season-long loan deal from the Potters, making his debut as a substitute against Burnley at Turf Moor at the end of August.
In total, the experienced midfield man appeared 13 times for the club, scoring once in the 3-1 victory at Cardiff City in November.
Everyone at the club thanks Lewis for his service and wishes him the very best in his future career.
There was an interesting call at the end of Radio Stoke’s Stoke City hour on Tuesday night when EFL pundit Gab Sutton mulled over what kind of transfer business would be on Mark Robins’ agenda in January.
“One of the things Robins did at Coventry City was establish a bedrock,” he said. “His first signings were Liam Kelly and Michael Doyle, two experienced, grizzled midfielders who knew how to battle and I think he will be looking for that balance in that squad between talent and players who can bring those intangibles.”
That is especially the case while Enda Stevens (calf) builds up fitness, Ben Pearson (hamstring) returns, an update is awaited with bated breath on Sam Gallagher (hamstring) and Ben Gibson is currently on the bench after illness. Seven of Stoke’s starting XI from Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Plymouth are playing their first full season of regular football in the Championship – and only Ben Wilmot wasn’t in his first full season for Stoke.
Baker had signed for Stoke on a free transfer from Chelsea in January 2022 and his impact was such that Michael O’Neill gave him a new contract that summer to remove a £1.5 million sell-out clause, making him captain to replace Joe Allen into the bargain.
He had scored eight times and set up another in 20 starts. Even if some of those were penalties, Stoke had gone through such a wretched run from the spot that they probably counted double rather than less in the eyes of Stoke supporters.
But O’Neill was replaced by Alex Neil and it is fair to say that they were not natural bedfellows. Baker lost his place in the team in the second-half of 2022/23, was stood down as captain the following summer and might have been off if he hadn’t been injured.
He came back as Neil was being replaced by Steven Schumacher – scoring a fantastic and crucial free-kick winner at Rotherham – but didn’t seem to properly fit in the Schumacher system either. He isn’t a deep-lying midfielder nor a relentless presser or quick-footed link player, he’s a goal scorer and needs to be given licence to shoot from around the box or to get in there for vital
