Andy Wilkinson
#28
Right back, Left back, Centre back
d.o.b:06/08/84
Signed: Academy
Games this season:13/5
Goals this season:0
Total club games:112/30
Total club goals:0
A strong, quick defender who made his debut as a 17 year old in the LDV vans trophy 1st round defeat at Blackpool.
Had to wait two years for his next game which came in the 2-1 win at home against Rochdale in the 1st round of the Carling Cup and put in a good performance alongside Marcus Hall and Wayne Thomas in defence.
Had undoubted potential and will probably have made the team a lot more often a lot earlier if he hadn't had so many injuries.
Got a chance in the 2005/6 season and was the best player in the team in the win at QPR playing an unfamiliar left back role but got injured just after and that ended his season.
Enjoyed another injury ravaged season in 2006/7 as he struggled to break into the Potters watertight defence, going out on loan to Blackpool for two months to earn massive plaudits and show he still has the skills to make it at Championship level.
2007/8 saw him become a Stoke regular for the first time and despite many offers from Blackpool he remained a Potter and played 25 times, most notably as many peoples man of the match in the BBC's televised FA Cup home tie with Newcastle, in a young Potters defence that at the age of 23 he was quite often the oldest head in.
Committed local lad who was one of, if not the, most improved players of 2008/9, playing a pivotal part in a watertight defence during the second half of the season after displacing club captain Andy Griffin at right back and keeping loan signing Stephen Kelly out of the side.
Carried that on into early 2009/10 and was a regular but fell out of favour once Robert Huth was given a run at right back in the second half of the season, and started as first reserve right back in 2010/11 before yet again forcing his way into the team, playing through the Potters purple patch towards the end of the season, including the FA Cup final.
With a bit or work on distribution 'Wilko' could become a regular for years to come, but for now it seems he is going to have to live with the constant fear of the drop as TP looks to move the side onwards and upwards.