Exclusive: Stoke City defender set to depart club | OneFootball

Stoke City's Freddie Anderson is joining Cork City on loan

Stoke City defender Freddie Anderson is joining Irish First Division champions Cork City on loan, Football League World can exclusively reveal.

The 18-year-old scored on his senior debut for the Potters during a 2-0 win over League Two Carlisle United in the EFL Cup last August, but is still yet to feature for the Staffordshire club in the Championship.

However, he has been a regular feature for the Stoke academy this term, in both Premier League 2 and the National League Cup, while he was named as an unused substitute for the Potters' opening league game against Coventry City last summer.

Stoke defender set to depart club

Anderson's loan move to Cork is an ideal scenario for all three parties involved, as regular game time at senior level will likely prove vital for the starlet's development.

He already has a senior Potters appearance to his name, and the fact that he managed to score in the EFL Cup shows that the youngster is a confident player.

The fact that Anderson has been named in the club's matchday squad in the Championship already this term demonstrates how highly rated he is at Stoke.

But with Cork, he will likely receive regular minutes in the Irish Premier Division, as Tim Clancy's men look to achieve survival in the top-flight, following their First Division title triumph last term.

Anderson has tested his skills up against the likes of the Arsenal academy in Premier League 2 this season, which shows he could be a real asset for Cork, despite the fact that the Potters academy currently sit bottom of the PL2 table.

Anderson will hope for Potters game time next season

Now that the young defender is being handed the opportunity to earn regular minutes in the Irish Premier Division during a loan spell with Cork, he will hope that he can become a regular feature for his parent club next term.

While the 18-year-old will be relatively content with the fact that he has featured for the Potters in the EFL Cup already, and has also been named as a substitute in the Championship, he will hope his second tier debut is on the horizon for him next season.

The arrival of new boss Mark Robins could play into Anderson's favour, especially if his loan spell in Ireland is a successful one.