Stoke City must push to seal second Spurs agreement on Cardiff City evidence | OneFootball

Ashley Phillips was a standout against the Bluebirds - the Potters need to try and sign him on another loan for next season

Stoke City's Tottenham Hotspur loanee centre-back Ashley Phillips has impressed at the bet365 Stadium this season, and the Potters were handed another stark reminder of how they must push for another loan deal for him this summer as he played a vital part in their huge win over Cardiff City last time out.

19-year-old Phillips joined Stoke on loan for the campaign last August with high expectations after a decent spell with Plymouth Argyle last season. The Potters have struggled under three different managers so far, but he has undoubtedly been a standout at the heart of defence.

The Manchester-born centre-back joined Spurs from Blackburn Rovers in 2023, but he has not yet been able to break through into Ange Postecoglou's first-team, and his chances could be limited going forward despite his good showings in the Championship.

Stoke will, therefore, be anticipating a possible chance to sign him on loan again this summer, and he showed exactly why they must push to do so with a brilliant performance against Cardiff to help Mark Robins' side pull away from the second-tier drop-zone.

Ashley Phillips has been impressive for Stoke - he was a key man at the back against Cardiff

Stoke's current Championship campaign has been a turbulent one, to say the least, but Phillips has been a calming, mature presence at the back who plays beyond his years each week. His quality is telling, and he has been consistently better than each of the Potters' other centre-backs in Ben Wilmot, Ben Gibson and Michael Rose.

He began the season out of the team under Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach, but it was no coincidence that he started in five of the club's first six wins of the season, and he soon nailed down a consistent starting spot under the latter head-coach.

Phillips' first goal in professional football was a deft flick in a 3-2 EFL Cup defeat at Southampton, and he has remained a constant in the Potters' backline over the last few months since Mark Robins' arrival, with starts in each of the club's last 20 league outings as they aim to avoid relegation.

His latest showing in the Welsh capital further proved just how imperative he has been to Stoke's defensive efforts all season, and highlighted how they need to start putting in the groundwork to seal another loan agreement with Spurs for the 2025/26 campaign.

Phillips started alongside Wilmot at the heart of the defence at the Cardiff City Stadium, and the pair kept both Yousef Salech and Callum Robinson at bay all afternoon with Stoke in desperate need of three points. The 19-year-old did not put a foot wrong, and made eight clearances, four headed clearances, two interceptions and two key passes, while he also blocked two Bluebirds shots.

To put the gloss on a fine individual afternoon, Phillips also played an important part in the Potters' all-important winning goal. Wouter Burger's flicked header from Junior Tchamadeu's long-throw fell into his path, and he diverted the ball towards Wilmot, who then turned it goalwards for Will Fish to poke into his own net with just five minutes of the game left.

He also drew two fouls late on from substitute Yakou Meite as the hosts rained long balls down on Stoke's back four, and then took to his X account in the aftermath of the game to connect with Potters supporters, and was met with swathes of positive replies telling him to look to extend his stay in ST4 past the end of this season.

Stoke fans have dreamed of having their next Ryan Shawcross for numerous years, and the England youth international certainly fits a similar mould to the ex-Manchester United man, in terms of an impressive loanee that could become a key man for years to come at the bet365 Stadium.

Stoke would love Ashley Phillips to return - another loan deal could happen

Stoke have struggled this season, but their defensive record is still not one of the worst in the league, and Phillips has been a clear reason for that, alongside Viktor Johansson's outstanding goalkeeping.

Reports emerged in January that Spurs were considering recalling him amid an injury crisis in Ange Postecoglou's squad, but their eventual decision not to end his loan early came as a huge relief to all connected to the Potters.

Phillips' current teammates have also recognised his obvious quality. Michael Rose, who has partnered him in defence numerous times, has insisted that he has "huge potential," while standout keeper Johansson believes that he has "every attribute you could want a centre-half to have."

It would be a real coup for Stoke if they were to sign him full-time this summer, and Spurs' reluctance to recall him over the winter, as well as their likely aim to bolster their lacking defence with new signings ahead of next season, means that the Potters could have a genuine chance of another move, but another loan feels like the most likely option for both parties to accept.

Tottenham have placed a real onus on playing young, talented players with high potential under Postecoglou, and so the likelihood of them allowing Phillips to leave on a permanent deal does not seem high, especially considering their poor form this season.

The 19-year-old, though, has clearly settled in the Potteries and looks to be enjoying his first full campaign of first-team football. It certainly feels possible that he would want to stay for another season under Mark Robins, who clearly rates him, based off how much game-time he has afforded him at this crucial point of the season.

Stoke must do all they can to make another loan move possible, and that starts by confirming their Championship status for another season with a win against Sheffield Wednesday on Good Friday.