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Stoke City fans who were watching Thibaud Verlinden a couple of years ago would be forgiven for thinking he would be in the first team by now.

The skilful winger was one of the stars of the under-18s team which reached the FA Youth Cup semi-final and was being compared to the best in Europe in his position for his age.

But while his peers like Jadon Sancho have burst onto the senior scene, the 19-year-old Belgium youth international has only one sub appearance in the League Cup to his name.

A complicated back problem at the start of 2017 took a chunk out of his development just as he was threatening to make a breakthrough. It would take until October before he was back in the senior squad under Mark Hughes.

What Mark Hughes said about Thibaud Verlinden Thibaud Verlinden was being tipped for a breakthrough in 2016/17 before he was struck down with a nasty back injury. Mark Hughes was keen to keep him close to the senior group when he returned, taking him on pre-season trips to Switzerland, France and Germany. "Thibaud is undoubtedly one of the brightest young players that I worked with throughout my management career," he said. "He still has plenty of progress to make, but we have all seen at close quarters the talents he possesses." He added: "The hope – and it has been for a number of years even before I came here – is that you want young players coming through to supplement what you're doing at the top end of the squad. We haven't really had that situation. "This is the first year really when we've had a number of young players that we feel, given a fair wind, will be able to progress and be Premier League footballers. We've never had that before so it's a welcome addition."

A loan move to St Pauli in January then proved difficult too and he was hospitalised after suffering concussion during training. He ended up playing for St Pauli II in the regional league and manager Markus Kauczinski hinted he expected players to be fitter.

Verlinden has been frustrated by injury again this season but he has been coming back to the fore in recent weeks.

He set up Tyrese Campbell’s goal to draw 1-1 at Carlisle in the Checkatrade Trophy to reach the knock-out stages, was the stand out player in a hard-fought Staffs Senior Cup win at Leek Town and impressed again in a 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Monday.

He's been playing mostly on the right with a knack of drifting inside to unleash a wicked shot - although he is clearly still not scoring enough - and it is good fun to watch him toying with a full-back.

(Image: James Knowles)

Under-23s coach Kevin Russell stopped himself picking out individuals for praise in his post-match interview but he was pushed on Verlinden’s development last week.

“He’s got an undoubted talent but for me he’s got to stay in games and do it for longer periods,” he said.

“We need to get him on the ball as well because he can do good things, he’s a talented boy.”

He added: “He’s been out for two years really because he’s had different types of injuries and he’s trying to get back to where he needs to be at.

“The games in the Staffs Senior Cup will do him good. Playing on heavy pitches, his fitness it will do him good.”

Stoke under-23s are next in action away at Southampton in Premier League 2 on Friday, January 4.