Stoke City offers trials to Chelsea's Nigerian teenage goalkeeper Prince Adegoke

ENGLISH Championship side Stoke City have opted to give Chelsea's Nigeria-eligible teenage goalkeeper Prince Adegoke trials with a view to signing him up as a long term prospect.

Originally signed as an U13 youth academy product, Adegoke, 18, came through the ranks at Chelsea and signed his first professional contract with the club last year upon turning 17. Already well known to the Nigerian Football Federation, Adegoke was invited to the Golden Eaglets camp in 2019.

At the start of the current campaign, Chelsea sent him out on a loan to National League South club Welling United for the duration of the 2022/23 season. Last season, Adegoke was invited to train with Chelsea's first team goalkeepers but did not  receive a call-up for a senior game.

However, Welling play in the sixth tier of English football and Adegoke is looking for a sterner challenge, while Stoke City need to reinforce their squad. Stoke were one of the busiest sides over the summer transfer window, bringing in 13 players on permanent deals and a further six on season-long loans.

However, with Alex Neil now at the helm, they are looking to bolster their squad further, both for the short-term and long-term in the hopes of achieving promotion back to the English Premier League. Adegoke, who featured in the U21s clash between Stoke City and Norwich City on Sunday and has been training with the Potters’ over the past week.

He is looking to secure a permanent deal to the Bet365 Stadium and would likely join up with the youth team in the hope of impressing enough to be given a shot in the first team. Although he may not come into the first-team picture immediately given the talent ahead of him in goal, Adegoke comes with a lot of ability and is held in high regard and so could certainly be one for the future at Stoke City.

Stoke City are no strangers to giving youth a chance, with plenty of youngsters being given opportunities in the senior squad in recent seasons. Adegoke will be hoping to continue that trend and be fast-tracked if all parties see fit.