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Emre Tezgel, Future Stoke City Star?

By Jeff Brantley

STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05: Emre Tezgel of Stoke City during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Stoke City and Wigan Athletic at Britannia Stadium on February 05, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 05: Emre Tezgel of Stoke City during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Stoke City and Wigan Athletic at Britannia Stadium on February 05, 2022 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images) /
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Stoke City manager Alex Neil and new Technical Director Ricky Martin, will have a lot of decisions to make over the next year about the future of the club’s roster. Most of those decisions will be involved around deciding which positions the club needs to invest in long-term and which the team still needs to improve upon in the short-term. However, one thing is clear for Neil and Martin, the club long-term and maybe even soon, will have one less problem at center-forward with the continued emergence of Emre Tezgel.

Tezgel, who just celebrated his 17th birthday in September, continues to show his potential for Stoke City at the U21 and other youth levels of the organization. Even at a very young age, Tezgel has played well past his years scoring goals at each level he’s played — Including, his latest stint with Stoke City’s U21’s in the Premier League Cup.

Emre Tezgel Starring for U21’s at Premier League Cup

During Saturday’s Premier League Cup match against Arsenal’s U21 team, Tezgel scored his latest goal in the team’s 1-1 draw. Prior to Saturday’s game, Tezgel recently also netted himself two goals against Derby County and scored a penalty versus Hertha Berlin.

That gives Tezgel now four goals in his last three matches at Stoke City’s U21 level — Showing that Tezgel may be getting closer everyday to being ready for first team action at some point.

The Turkish born striker probably won’t make much of an impact, if any, this season with Stoke City’s first team. But, he’s already made history with the club by becoming the team’s youngest player to make his professional debut in last January’s FA Cup match against Leyton Orient.

On top of that, Tezgel continues to show his attacking prowess and creative/sharp thinking in a number nine role at the U21 level. With those accolades and early career accomplishments starting to stack up, it’ll only be a matter of time before Alex Neil and Ricky Martin want to inject his abilities into the club’s first team.

Again, will it come this season? Probably not in a featured role or even at all. But with a three year contract kicking in on his 17th birthday, the club won’t have the luxury of waiting numerous years to test out his potential. Plus, with the skills Tezgel brings to the table, at some point he’s going to help the club more at the senior level, than the U21 or other youth levels.

Scoring goals is a big part of the puzzle for any Championship side in England. And if Tezgel keeps scoring goals at the level he’s at, Neil and Martin may be forced to give the teenager more time at some point with The Potter’s first teamers — Even if that time comes next season for Stoke City.