Stoke City fired Sorba Thomas warning on what was on show at Huddersfield Town | OneFootball

FLW's Huddersfield fan pundit gives his views on Sorba Thomas' move to the bet365 Stadium

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sorba Thomas' time at Huddersfield Town was tumultuous to say the least, enduring plenty of ups and downs in the five and a half years he spent contracted to the West Yorkshire side.

The 26-year-old spent the 2024/25 season on loan at Ligue 1 side Nantes - his second loan spell during his time at Huddersfield - which did include an option to buy, which wasn't activated by the French side.

Thomas is still on the move this summer, though, as he penned a three-year deal at Stoke City, signing for the Potters for a "significant undisclosed fee."

When on his game, the Welsh international is one of the more impactful dead-ball specialists in the EFL, but it'll be up to Stoke to ensure they bring that part of his game out, rather than one which Huddersfield became familiar with towards the end of his tenure at the John Smith's Stadium.

Following his move to the Potters, we asked Football League World's Huddersfield Town fan pundit, Graeme Rayner, what Stoke should expect from Sorba Thomas for the upcoming season.

Huddersfield Town fan pundit fires warning to Stoke City over Sorba Thomas transfer

"I would say that Stoke fans can expect excellent dead-ball ability and a real passion," Rayner said, when questioned about what Sorba Thomas would bring to Mark Robins' side.

"However, he does have a tendency to get a bit stroppy when things aren't going either his way or the team's way, and that did not endear him to Huddersfield fans during the time he was at the club, creating a feeling that he wasn't giving us his best.

"That temperament issue saw him as someone becoming a bit of a bad egg."

Thomas' recent request to leave Huddersfield Town came in the wake of their relegation to League One. The 26-year-old clearly had eyes on a higher level of football, and Rayner understood this frustration, "but not particularly in channeling it [in the way he did]".

The Welshman's pros are clear to see, but in terms of cons, Rayner highlighted a lack of pace compared to other wingers in the second tier.

However, he feels that the number of goals he would contribute due to his impeccable delivery would more than make up for it.

He said: "He doesn't have a trick or explosive pace to beat a full-back, but his delivery in the final third and especially at corners, is superb and should create a lot of assists if Stoke were to go for the old school, Tony Pulis-style, set pieces."

Fan pundit feels it was the right time for Sorba Thomas to depart Huddersfield Town

Whilst keeping the 26-year-old would have put Huddersfield in a good place to get promoted next season, Rayner reflects the feelings of plenty of Terriers fans who believe it was time for him to move on.

"If he had stayed, I'd have welcomed him back, but I think it's one of those classic cases of us needing to clear out a few people who the fans perhaps weren't fully behind anymore, and he was one of those people," he said.

Thomas departs Huddersfield with no hard feelings from the Town fan pundit and hopes that, despite times when he felt he may have been better than the level they were playing at, the Welshman remembers his time in West Yorkshire positively.

"I wish him the best, wish him good luck, and hope he remembers that we were the club that gave him his start in league football, at which he became an international," Rayner concluded.

The 26-year-old was brought in from National League side Boreham Wood, and his 12 assists in his first full season at the John Smith's Stadium saw him lead his side to the play-offs.

Stoke will be hoping that he can get back to that level and help them to a more comfortable mid-table position in the upcoming Championship campaign.