Stoke City confirm temporary player exit

Lewis Macari has left Stoke City to join Dundalk on a six month loan, the Irish club has announced.

The 20-year-old, who enjoyed a previous loan spell away from the Potters with Market Drayton Town, was an unused substitute in Stoke’s final match of last season.

The left footed centre back has played for the club’s U23 side 15 times in Premier League 2 with the young Potters on the brink of a play-off place in Group 2.

Macari will likely make his debut for Dundalk as soon as Friday evening when the Lilywhites face Drogheda United in the Jim Malone Cup.

Dundalk finished sixth in the Irish top-flight last season and will be looking to hit the ground running with the 2022 campaign kicking off on 18th February.

Macari has represented Scotland up to U19 level and it is interesting to see his first high profile loan spell be in Irish football.

At 20, and particularly as a centre back it will be important for him to be exposed to as much first team action as possible, to put Macari in the best position to carve out a career in the senior game.

With such a bulk of defenders in the first team picture, given Michael O’Neill has mainly deployed a three at the back formation this season, Macari’s pathway looks blocked, therefore it is a positive to see him sent out on loan.

The Verdict

With the likes of Josef Bursik, Josh Tymon, Ben Wilmot, Tyrese Campbell and D’Margio Wright-Phillips having some promising moments in the Potters’ first team this season, it is clear to see the effort from the board but also O’Neill to integrate younger players into the first team picture.

Macari is still at an early stage of his development particularly for a centre back and therefore this loan move may not necessarily be the beginning of the end of