Simkin has 'number 1 aim' after answering City SOS

VIKTOR Johansson gave Tommy Simkin a pre-match call after an urgent change of plans saw the youngster back in goal for Stoke City.

- PETE SMITH

Johansson hadn't missed a league minute since joining Stoke from Rotherham in the summer of 2024 and it doesn’t sound like he had been expecting the worst as he had a shoulder injury assessed this week.

Instead, the 27-year-old Sweden keeper has been told he will probably need surgery and Mark Robins sent an SOS to Simkin, aged 21, who had been on loan at Leyton Orient preparing for a League One clash with Wimbledon.

Simkin had to quickly join up with the Stoke squad on New Year's Eve night and had a catch-up with keeper coach Darren Behcet before Robins told him on New Year’s Day he would get the gloves that afternoon at Hull.

The England youth captain - who had made one previous first team appearance two years ago in similar circumstances - kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.

He was grateful to the support he received from the keeper fraternity, including Behcet and Johansson as well as backup stoppers Jack Bonham, Frankie Fielding and True Grant.

“I was travelling halfway around the country to get to the hotel (on Wednesday) night, saw Daz and then spoke to the gaffer on (Thursday) morning and found out I was playing,” he said. “It's been crazy but ultimately it went well.”