Wilmot feeling positive vibes as City squad report for pre-season

STOKE City's new longest-serving player Ben Wilmot is relieved to be optimistic as he reported for day one of pre-season training.

- Peter Smith

Wilmot has seen a huge number of comings and goings around him since he first arrived at Clayton Wood in the summer of 2021, playing under five managers and alongside dozens of teammates as Stoke have struggled to break a cycle of bottom half finishes.

But he is pleased that this summer isn't shaping up for the kind of wholesale changes he saw a couple of years ago, when he was one of only three players on Day One who would prove to be first team regulars in what was to follow.

And he is hopeful that this time can be a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable than the last two or three, which have involved looking over the shoulder more than up the table.

"One hundred per cent," he said. "The reason I came here was to get back into the Premier League and that's not happened. This has probably been the most optimistic I've been coming in for pre-season over the last few years. I do think with the group we've got and the manager we've got and management staff we have, this season should be a lot better than last season.