Stoke City forgotten striker working towards summer transfer
Stoke City forgotten man Ryan Mmaee is not ruling out staying at Rapid Vienna for good – despite still not getting on the pitch for the club.
The 27-year-old striker was one of Alex Neil’s big hopes when he joined Stoke from Ferencvaros in the unprecedented summer intake of 2023 but quad injuries and other challenges restricted him to 17 league starts and three goals last season.
His exit on loan to Austria was sanctioned at the end of August but he was injured in his very first training session, a quad problem again, and there was a recurrence when he tried to make his comeback, meaning he’s spent six months in rehabilitation.
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He is back hoping to play now and made his first appearance in Rapid colours in a winter-break friendly against Levadia Tallinn – but had to be withdrawn after 30 minutes when the muscle tightened again. Boss Robert Klauss is confident they caught in time, however, and Mmaee is now working towards a competitive debut against Wolfsberg on February 8.
But expectations are still high that he can help the team compete towards the top of the table and fill the boots of striker Guido Burgstaller, who suffered a fractured skull in a city centre attack last month.
The switch was made with the long-term in mind. There is no recall option and Rapid have an option to make it permanent in the summer, with Mmaee hinting to the local press that is what he is working towards.
He said: “(It’s been hard to be out for so long) but the team welcomed me well, I was there for the meetings and always remained positive. Pressure is normal, I'm used to it. I'm there to help.”
Mmaee thinks that Rapid’s style will suit him better than what he experienced at Stoke and his struggles in the Championship.
He told Kronen Zeitung: “That was also down to the style of play, if you only touch three balls a half, you can't get into a flow. I want to be involved in the game, not just wait in front of goal. Rapids' style suits me perfectly. We want the ball and are very aggressive. The stadium and fans are also incredible, you feel this very special connection.”
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