Mark Robins explains Nathan Lowe Stoke City recall thinking
Mark Robins is mulling over a recall for Stoke City’s young hot shot Nathan Lowe.
Lowe has scored 17 times already this season on loan at runaway League Two leaders Walsall but he has been back to train under new boss Robins for a day this week before returning for a game against Tranmere Rovers (Sat, 12.30pm). He has already played in the FA Cup this season so wouldn’t have been available anyway for Stoke’s third round trip to Sunderland (Sat, 3pm).
It is not a straightforward call, with 19-year-old Lowe loving life getting so regularly on the scoresheet in a title charge in his first taste of regular senior football. There are high hopes for his long-term career at Stoke but there might be a short-term need too, particularly given FFP constraints this month and Sam Gallagher picking up a hamstring injury.
Either way, he has done himself no harm with his performances over the last few months.
Robins said: “He’s a young player and young players have to be given time. In time he will be a really good player and what he’s doing at the moment is giving himself every chance. He’s put himself in the shop window and made people sit up and take notice of him.
“He will end up with 20-plus goals this season if he remains at Walsall – we haven’t made that decision yet – and I also know it is doing him the world of good. Mat Sadler is desperate to keep him and I’m not in the market to upset people – but what matters to me is Stoke City and the individual.
“My first priority will be to assess whether it is right to bring him back at this stage and have him involved – not knowing 100 per cent what the impact will be but sometimes your hands are tied and you’re forced because of circumstances.
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“He is certainly scoring goals at League Two level and when we spoke the other day I said the goals don’t move. If you’re hungry and you can get into good positions where the ball is going to find you… and we have to make sure we can do that and our team moves and evolves into a state when we can start to create chances on a regular basis that gives forwards the opportunities to stick the ball in the back of the net. In which case, we’ve got good players and players who can score.”
Lowe is leading a gang of academy graduates hoping to catch Robins’ eye and the new boss is enjoying discovering about the talent emerging from the youth system.
“I will learn pretty quickly (who is coming through),” he said. “I obviously know about Nathan, he came in the other day and I spoke to him. A really good kid, really intelligent, thoughtful about his career and what he’s doing. Tommy Simkin came in as well and I spoke with him. Brilliant. They’ve got older heads on their shoulders than their years.
“Sol Sidibe obviously we know and he’s working with us, Jaden Dixon is working with us as well. There are a number of those. Freddie Anderson, my old teammate Viv Anderson’s son, is 18 in the academy and in the system.
“There are some really decent footballers here and some really good coaches with a lot of information and expertise they can pass on – and also that Stoke knowledge about what’s expected at this football club when you break into the first team. That can be invaluable.
“Honestly, I think the whole thing is really good. It will take time because things don’t just happen overnight but I look at everything and make assessments and judgements and it’s not necessarily changes, just enhancements or change if needed.”
