Harry Souttar: ‘Until last season, I never really felt like a Stoke player’

There could never be a good place to sustain an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The crushing blow sustained by Harry Souttar in Sydney arrived with immediate realisation that he had to complete a lengthy journey back home to England. Leg one, to Dubai, at least came with support given Souttar’s international colleagues were heading for a World Cup qualifier against China.

“Leg room on planes isn’t great for me anyway but with this injury it was 10 times worse,” says Souttar, who stands at 6ft 6in. “The physios were unbelievable at trying to look after me even though it was a night flight, topping up ice and giving medication.”

Souttar is now 10 weeks post-operation and back working in the gym. Pre-season is a legitimate target for an on-field return. An indicator of Souttar’s sharp development under Michael O’Neill at Stoke is endorsed by the fact the commanding centre-half was linked with umpteen Premier League clubs immediately before cruel fortune struck. Souttar, 23, joined Stoke from Dundee United at 17. As the club struggled, he feared the move might never work out.

“I think of the scene from Goal the movie when he signs for Newcastle and told he is training with the first team,” Souttar says. “That was like me. I was told I was going to train with the first team: Arnautovic, Shaqiri, Adam, Shawcross; I could go on. I was signing these guys on Football Manager two months earlier.”

It took until early last season for Souttar to encounter a sense of worth. After loans to Ross County and Fleetwood, O’Neill successfully challenged the player to elevate his own status. “He thought I could stay and play here if I was patient,” Souttar recalls. “I wasn’t in the squad for the first few games then got into the team for a