Source: Daily_Mail
Stoke's Ryan Shotton is heir to my throw-in, says Rory Delap
Just as age seemed to be catching up with one of Stoke's most feared attacking weapons, along comes every defender's worst nightmare - Rory Delap Mk II. [LNB]A recent shoulder injury took its toll on Delap's prodigious long throw and raised hope among the defensive fraternity that, at 35, his days of peppering them from the touchline were numbered. [LNB]If they are, any sense of relief may be shortlived - the Stoke City midfielder revealed that he is grooming a successor in the form of local prospect Ryan Shotton. [LNB] Hands on role: Shotton is ready totake over from Delap[LNB]Rest provided a cure for Delap's shoulder problem and allowed him to resume throw-in duties, but he admitted that 22-year-old Shotton could soon be ready to assume a mantle that makes facing Stoke such an unenviable task. [LNB]'I don't want to tell him too much or I might find myself out of the team,' he smiled, looking forward to the Europa League meeting with Maccabi Tel-Aviv at the Britannia Stadium. [LNB]'Shotts has come through the ranks and done really well. He is a very good player in his own right, but he has a long throw on him as well. It is good for the manager because he does like to have that. [LNB]'It ruffles teams. They are not keen on it, and it is very much part of what we are about. [LNB]'I remember in my first pre-season, he was only a young lad, but I played a couple of games with him, and he was throwing it a fair way then.[LNB] Shot in the arm: Delap's specialist role at Stoke could be filled by a local lad[LNB] [LNB] 'He has played in most of the European games and even got on the scoresheet, so there is a lot more to his game than just throw-ins. [LNB]'He's already got the distance, and he's going to get better as he goes along. People can think what they like, but it is a valid tactic, and it's good to know Ryan is around to keep it going.' [LNB]While the Europa League is viewed as an inconvenience by some, Delap is relishing every moment. [LNB]'If you'd asked me five or six years ago if I'd still be playing at this level, and looking forward to European nights, I'd probably have said you were having a laugh,' he said. [LNB]'The Europa League may not suit everyone, but we are loving it. Split was like a war zone, with fireworks exploding everywhere, and there have been flares going off at other grounds. [LNB] Enlarge 'I don't know how they got them through the turnstiles, but it created a brilliant atmosphere. It's what you play the game for. [LNB]'If you can't savour these nights, there is no point being in football.' Stoke local boy Wilkinson hoping to stay at the Britannia for another 10 yearsPulis' simple ingredients are the recipe for success, says Upson All the latest Stoke news, features and opinion [LNB]
