Stoke City sporting director Jon Walter has revealed new head coach Mark Robins was the driving force behind the decision to cut short Lewis Hall’s season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers.
The 29-year-old made the move to Ewood Park in August, where he was due to stay for the remainder of the campaign. He then played a largely bit-part role during the first few months of the season but had played himself into John Eustace’s plans over the festive period, where he started the last four Championship fixtures.
His appearance in the Lancashire derby defeat against Burnley on Saturday has proven to be his final outing for the 1995 Premier League champions, with Stoke announcing he will return to the bet365 Stadium this afternoon. He originally joined the Potters in 2022, impressively scoring 20 times in 93 appearances from midfield.
Robins Reason For Recall
Former Coventry City boss Mark Robins took over from Narcis Pelach on New Year’s Day. After drawing 0-0 with Plymouth Argyle in his first game in charge, Stoke currently sit 19th in the table, just four points above the drop zone.
With the 55-year-old wanting to put his own stamp on the squad, sporting director Jon Walters has confirmed that Hall’s return is of a result of conversations with Robins. Speaking to official club media, he said:
“As we look to enhance our squad for the second half of the campaign, it was clear in discussions with Mark that he believes Lewis can play an important role in our squad.
“With the best part of 300 career appearances to his name, Lewis will add invaluable experience to the group, while his technical ability is something our supporters will be well aware of.
“Having started each of Blackburn’s four fixtures over the festive period, he returns ready to make an immediate impact.”
Writer’s View
It’s understandable why Robins would want a player of Hall’s calibre in his squad, but does lead to questions as to why he was allowed to join a Championship rival in the first place. The midfielder has an excellent record in front of goal, despite often coming from deep. Stoke have been rather goal-shy as of late, scoring just once in their last five fixtures. Hall isn’t a player they can rely on heavily to solve that, but his past record indicates he can certainly help.
Head of Writing
