Stoke City sporting director Jon Walters believes that Tottenham Hotspur loan star Ashley Phillips has all the qualities to become an outstanding defender.
Spurs signed the Under-19 England international from Blackburn Rovers last summer on a five-year deal.
Phillips spent the second half of the last campaign with Championship side Plymouth Argyle and played 20 times for them.
The teenager now has been loaned out to Stoke City for a season and the Potters’ sporting director revealed that the club waited for the right player to be available before they made a move for Phillips.
Walters insisted that the Spurs loanee possesses all the qualities to become a top-level central defender in future.
“Whilst we identified the need to bring another central defender into our squad sometime ago, we opted to remain patient and await the right player of the right quality to become available”, Walters told his club’s in-house media about their centre-back search this summer.
“We’re delighted that our conversations with Ashley and with Tottenham have led to them each believing that Stoke City is the right club for him amid no shortage of competition.
“It’s clear that he has all the attributes to become an outstanding defender at this level and beyond, and we’re all excited to see what he can achieve for us this season.”
Ange Postecoglou will be keeping a close eye on the game time Phillips gets during his loan stay at the bet365 Stadium.
The defender, who has made one Championship appearance for the Potters so far, will want to play himself into Postecoglou’s plans for next term.